Hello everyone! I will be responding to comments every chapter in this space, so look for that later. Anyways, let's get to it!

It was humid that day in the forests of Konoha. The sticky air hovered over like a blanket, engulfing the three young teens. Two boys trudged behind a girl, stealing looks at the way her petal-colored hair swayed against the ferocious red color of her hood and cape. How something so soft and pink could hold it's own against the blood red. Lovely pink things always were the first to perish, particularly in this dense wood.

"This is where we part," the girl said with a sigh. There was a sweetness to her voice as she was only a little girl. Always fragile, she could afford it with her two companions. If her stained-glass eyes shed a tear there'd be hell to pay. In Konoha, girls were supposed to be this way while their male counterparts always grew up too fast.

"See ya, Sakura-chan!" Most would wince at the blond's screech of a goodbye, but to his two best friends, it was a pleasant constant. Naruto was caught between childhood and fate. He would always wish for the past. Then, his father had been Hokage, esteemed leader of Konoha and adored by all. Under Minato, Konoha was in its golden years. Food was on every table at every meal. Naruto lived by the handsome coattails of his father. To Sakura, he was the sun. Golden hair aside, he was always beaming with the morning glory that was bestowed upon him by his friends and loved ones, always returning it.

"Dobe. She's not two feet away. There's no need to bust my eardrum," the other boy muttered, running a slightly sunburned hand through his hair in annoyance. People didn't understand why a stoic boy like him got along so well the Naruto and Sakura. Those two were easy to please, finding happiness in little things, while Sasuke seemed to dislike most people he came across. As much as Naruto seemed to get on his nerves and Sakura appeared to be a nuisance, the three were attached to each other since before they could remember.

"Sasuke-kun..." the girl started. She knew that no matter how much she begged, they would never cease to pester each other. With a wave of her small hand, she left them at their meeting place, the tree with their initials carved into the bark.

"Teme! Don't call me that in front of her!" Even at fifteen, Naruto could always manage to sound like a five year-old.

"Go die in a hole."

And with that as their goodbye, they started back home

…

That night was the Summer Festival. It was the highlight of the year, accompanied by a festival with dancing and games. It was a night to forget about responsibilities and fear. Konoha would gather and celebrate each other and forget their differences, clan or otherwise.

Sasuke hated it. Not the actual festival, which he quite enjoyed, but it was one of the rare times his mother made him dress in his best clothes. She would always coo over him at how "cute and handsome" her second boy was.

He and Mikoto were close, more so than his older brother was with her, as he was favored (albeit questionably) by their father. Though Sasuke favored her in looks with his pale skin and hair the color of the night, despite all her efforts, he was not quick to show emotion, particularly happiness. This was why she fully encouraged his friendship with Naruto and Sakura, although she found it odd how attached they were to each other, since Sasuke's personality was strikingly different than the other two. Especially since they were not fellow Uchiha. It was no surprise that he would take a liking to Haruno Sakura, her favorite housemaid's daughter. As Mikoto adored little Sakura, she always prayed for a girl. As for Naruto, she really had no idea how they became so close. But no matter that, she was grateful for them. She always resented the way the Uchiha clan separated themselves from Konoha. Mikoto felt her sons would usher in a new generation of acceptance.

"Mom, is this good?" Sasuke asked. He donned his only white shirt and clean pants. His other pairs were decked in mud and Mikoto would never let her son attend a festival wearing those.

"Oh, Sasuke!" She knew how handsome he was. "My boy," she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It seemed like that would be the final time he could call him that. She missed how he clinged to her skirt as a toddler and asked questions, how she would sing him to sleep with maudlin tales of princesses and dragons. She reached for him and kissed his hairline.

"Dramatic as usual," came the low voice of Itachi. He came down the stairs fully dressed and ready. He prided himself on not needing his mother's approval. "Sasu-chan's growing so fast, where has the time gone?" he teased.

"Don't call me that!" Sasuke pulled away from Mikoto, but she didn't pull back. Mikoto was tired of trying to keep her boys boys. But, not enough to keep her from wiping a stray smudge of dirt from the side of his face.

…

Naruto loved the Summer Solstice. It was the only time Ichiraku's ramen was free and that was reason enough. But the thought of his pink haired friend in a more girly manner also was something to look forward to. Those kind of thoughts gave him a tickle in his chest.

He looked down at his newly shined boots. He'd thank his mother for that, as they seemed like different shoes altogether.

His parents held hands as they emerged from the back of the house.

"Ready to go, Naru-kun?" his mother asked. Her voice cushioned his ears, the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. Kushina was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Her long red hair was always illuminated and her hands were always soft. On this night, kohl surrounded her eyes, making them even more entrancing than usual. Beautiful she was, but unbeknownst to Naruto and the rest of Konoha, she was not only the Hokage's wife but led the village along with Minato. She was smart and a valuable confidant in his leadership. They were a team. Her counterpart Minato, famed warrior of Konoha, was the sun, moon and stars to his son. Wise and strong, yet kind. He was everything Naruto wanted to be, everything he looked up to. He laid a hand in his son's identical yellow hair and ruffled it. Yes, Minato was a good father, even if it was short-lived.

…

Haruno Sakura skipped lightly on the way to her grandmother's. She hummed along with the birds, taking in the sight of the dogwood trees that were scattered among the forest. They were white like her dresses. It was the color the healer and her apprentice was to wear. Healers were the keepers of life and purity.

Sakura lived with her sensei Tsunade, seeing her mother only when she visited after work in the Uchiha manor. Healing had always been a hidden talent of hers, so Tsunade took her in to learn healing magic and become her prodigy.

There were women warriors, but they all came from famed clans such as the Uchiha and Hyuga, a famous clan from the neighboring village. Sakura had always resented that, but whenever she would speak of it to her mother, she would be scolded. Having to go into battle was not something to envy.

Her grandmother lived on the other side of Konoha. Taking a route through the woods cut the time in half.

It was dangerous, but Tsunade also trained her in self-defense, against her mother's wishes. "Without a Healer, a village will fall to it's knees," Tsunade always said. Sakura was a dutiful student and arguing with Tsunade would not end well. "So you must understand the secrets of life and death."

Her grandmother had made beloved Sakura a dress for the festival and Sakura had come to retrieve it. Her grandmother lived in a remote hut with a modest thatch roof and wood floor. Vines crept up the gray walls in an almost alluring way.

She knocked on the door and called, "Grandmother, are you home?" The door opened swiftly and the girl was greeted with a big hug.

"Come in! Come in!" the old woman closed the door behind Sakura. Green eyes immediately spotted it. Her dress draped over a chair waited for her.

"Grandmother, it's gorgeous!" The girl exclaimed.

"Go try it on in the back room," the woman couldn't keep a grin off her face when she witnessed her only grandchild's excitement. Her and Sakura's mother, Mebuki, made her clothes with love and tenderness in every detail, Sakura was always grateful.

Even though her dresses and red cape meant the world to her, she knew the way some girls looked at her. "A girl with no father, only three dresses and a stupid cape to her name," they would say with voices laced in venom. "Always covered in dirt, liking herself to an Uchiha and the Hokage's son. I don't care if she's Tsunade's apprentice, she's probably fucking them both-" she always chased the words away. She would put her red hood up when she heard them, taking refuge in it, as it was made by people who loved her.

Sakura changed hastily, ignoring her thoughts. Words couldn't describe how she felt when she saw herself in the mirror. Beautiful? Yes, that. Even with all the grime and dirt marring her milky skin, it made her look elegant. It was ivory with a lacy bodice with a red sash at an empire waist. The skirt flowed straight down to her knees with tight, short sleeves covering her shoulders.

"Sakura," the old woman started, "you're growing up too fast." It was hard not to see her own daughter in Sakura.

"It's lovely. Thank you." She twisted her hips, making the hem dance.

She took off the dress and they had some porridge for lunch. Soon Sakura was on her way. She had to be home before nightfall.

…

After washing up, Sakura put on her dress and did her hair. She usually had trouble with her long, curly hair, but it cooperated with her that night as she pinned some side strands back and the ringlets bounced below her rib cage. She lined her eyes in kohl with precision that would only belong to a medic, even though she didn't wear it regularly.

"How do I look?" Tsunade asked.

"You look beautiful, Tsunade-sensei," Sakura smiled. It was always that way. Tsunade was the type of beauty that brought people to their knees.

"So do you!" Sakura's cheeks colored and her hands joined behind her. Tsunade's almond eyes slightly widened. "I almost forgot!" She raced back to the counter to get a small, wooden box she hid earlier behind a cup. "Open it."

She did and her eyes immediately brightened. "It's beautiful!" Inside, was a necklace. On a black string was a green rock surrounded by one metal bead on each side.

"A family heirloom to be passed from generation to generation every fifteenth summer." Sakura was the closest thing to a child Tsunade was ever going to have.

"Thank you." They embraced, which was rare as Tsunade showed affection in non-affectionate ways and she put the necklace on the girl.

There was a knocking sound and a "Sakura-chan! I'm getting hungry!"

"Looks like your friends are here."

"Sounds like it too," Sakura chuckled.

When Uchiha Sasuke saw Haruno Sakura open the heavy wooden door, everything stopped. Her smile appeared in slow motion, the acute corners of her mouth crept upwards and he couldn't help but imagine how soft-

"Wow, Sakura-chan…" a voice interrupted his train of thought. Naruto scratched behind his head, a habit he showed when he was anxious. His cerulean eyes crinkled in an endearing way and his cheeks flushed, reminding the young girl of the children she would treat. He was always more vocal than Sasuke, which was necessary most of the time. Sakura never liked silence and Naruto prevented them.

There was a drop in Sakura's chest when Sasuke made no sign of approval. Unconsciously, she yearned for him to view her as more than a mere annoyance. Tsunade always said to "dress for yourself and no one else", but it was hard when her best friend noticed no difference, no matter how ashamed she was to admit it.

"Can we go now? Naruto, I thought you said you were hungry..." she tried her best to hide the disappointment in her voice, but while it went unnoticed by Naruto, it was easy for a quiet observer like Sasuke to spot. He found it odd how quickly her emotions would change, but he could never figure out why they did.

He could see everything in a snapshot. How some of the lanterns marking the way to the festivals flickered, revealing the force and direction of the wind. How Naruto had a nervous bounce to him that night and how often he was scratching the back of his head all of the sudden, rustling his cleaner-than-usual hair. How Sakura's slender fingers wrapped around herself, knuckles pink and hands pale. Was she cold? "Your hood…" he was surprised he hadn't noted her missing trademark earlier. He detested the fact that no matter how much he trained with the best teachers within the clan or otherwise, his intuition would never have perfection.

"Yes," she rubbed her arms to create some friction. "Tsunade said that I shouldn't depend on material things, so I left it." Her companions were baffled. Ever since that fateful day so long ago when she received that cloak, she only took it off to bathe and sleep, but even kept it on under her thin sheets in the colder months. Truth was, losing that cloak put her on edge. She tried to ignore how exposed she felt without it, doing her best to distract her mind with other things.

"Don't listen to Baa-chan," Naruto chided. "She's drunk half the time anyways."

For that he received a swift, strike to the back of his head. "Don't talk about Tsunade-sensei like that!" She had gotten better at controlling her anger but sometimes, she slipped. While there was always sake near, Tsunade's pupil held her at the utmost respect. Sakura hoped that someday she could hold a candle to her mentor.

All over the village lanterns were lit, showing the way to the dancing. Once they arrived, Naruto and Sakura found places near friendly acquaintances immediately.

Sasuke on the other hand, being the antisocial boy he was just stood on the side and watched. Many irritating girls invited him to dance, but he declined and just continued observing. He was always one to notice things but never point them out. He took pride in all the little details he put down in his mind. Naruto was doing something weird and spastic, so he focused on the pink haired girl who was smiling brightly, the light of the lanterns glowing in her eyes. The Uchiha thought that it might have been the most beautiful thing in the world. Naruto whispered something into Sakura's ear. The girl stopped dancing and nodded. With evil smiles on their faces, the two raced toward Sasuke. Before he knew it, Sakura dragged Sasuke to the dance floor, with Naruto close behind. "Dance with me, Sasuke!"

He unceremoniously stood there between the two, unfazed by their antics. He expected something like this to occur.

"Not gonna happen," Sasuke said.

"Aww, come on Sasuke!" Sakura pestered.

"Nope."

"I knew Teme had a stick up his ass!"

"Do not!" A young Uchiha Sasuke flashed before the pinkette's eyes, bringing her mind back years.

Sasuke spotted his brother and left the two to their own devices. He weaved through the crowd, finding Itachi leaning against a dango stand. "What do you want?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"He's definitely Naruto, I can tell by the dancing, but is that Haruno? The girl that's always hidden under that stupid red hood?" It annoyed Sasuke how his brother familiarly addressed his friends. Itachi scared the living daylights out of the two.

"It's not stupid."

"Oh. You like this girl. She's pretty, I'll give you that." Condescension always dripped from Itachi's voice. "But wait a couple years-"

"Can I go now?"

"You want her to like you back? Lose blonde and take her to the gardens," Itachi started. "They put the lights up for the festival, she'll like it."

He had no doubt she would. The way she adored the simple street lanterns, showed him that. Sasuke swam through the sea of people to where the three of them were before, but only Naruto remained.

"Where's Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

The boy of the sun was dumb-founded. "No idea."

The Uchiha groaned.

...

Sakura cupped her cheeks, trying to hide her red skin. Even though she spent a lot of time with them, teenage boys always seemed to catch her off-guard.

"You're cute when you blush," the brunette said, a sideways smirk adorning his face. The two were alone, sitting on the inside of the fountain that sat in the middle of the gardens, their feet splashing in the water. It's coldness sent goosebumps up her legs and she was quickly reminded of the warmth of her hood. She tried to ignore her discomfort by giving full-attention to her companion. The cheeky boy who lured her away from Naruto's side with adventure in his voice.

"How do you like the festival so far?" He asked. His name was Inuzuka Kiba, the farmer's boy with the dog.

"Very much." It was the first time a boy had whisked her away like this. It was exciting for her, all this attention. "What about you?"

They go well together, but they aren't for each other.

"It could be better," he shrugged. He looked up at the stars and Sakura thought about how beautiful people were when they looked to the sky.

"How so?" She watched the stars twinkle above. Sakura liked to think that they were protectors of the people below. That they were always being watched over.

"With this."

She supposed it was a good first kiss, but it wasn't with whom she'd thought it would be. His tanned hands pulled her closer and his tongue pleaded entry but, she pulled away. Her body wanted to continue, but it wasn't right. "I'm sorry," she breathed. Disappointed in herself, she fetched her shoes and ran into the neighboring wood.

The familiar trees were strangers at that hour. Her street-smarts seemed to abandon her, turning her into a naive girl, running barefoot through the forest towards nowhere in particular. A howl stopped her in her tracks. She looked the full moon in the face as it stared down at her in pity, a little girl all alone. She subconsciously reached to pull her hood over her head but cursed when fabric wasn't felt. Her steps started again and she inched towards the gnawing growls and howls. The earth crunched beneath her feet in a sick whine. With every step she took, dread wracked her spine eerily. She damned herself for her cowardliness.

But her thoughts left her, when she saw glowing yellow eyes against the darkness. They seemed to laugh at her, how stupid she was. How she would always be a little girl, frail and harmless. In a second, the picture relayed itself into her mind, forever staining it.

Namikaze Minato, one of the only true men she knew of, with dead gray eyes that cut through her soul and the pack of wolves who fed off him, ripping his flesh like paper.