(8 years ago)

"Mom, why must we leave Sunagakure and move to Kumogakure?" A pink-haired girl asked, tugged on her mother's arm sleeve.

The older lady smiled down at her daughter, "It's where Mommy and Daddy were born honey."

"Hana, are you almost done with that room?" A booming voice echoed down the hallway of their home.

"Yes, almost done Arashi." The older lady wiped a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. She turned towards her daughter, her red hair swaying with the movement.

"Why don't you go say goodbye to your friends sweetie? We won't have anytime after this, and we're leaving as soon as we finish packing. Just make sure you come back before the sun sets, okay Sakura?"

Sakura nodded happily, and skipped out the room. She ran to her room, which was going to be packed last and took her backpack with two gifts she had chosen for her two closest friends.

Skipping happily out of her house, she rushed towards the playground to meet one of her friends; they had picked that place to meet just yesterday.

"Aya-Chan!" Sakura shouted. She ran towards her blonde-haired, blue-eyed friend. "I have to tell you something Aya-Chan!"

Her friend giggled, "I heard, you have to leave." Aya pouted cutely. "Who am I going to play with now?"

Sakura laughed, "Your moving to Konoha anyways!"

"Yeah, but your moving a day before me Sakura-Chan, big difference! And after, how will we see each other?" Aya frowned.

"We'll find a way Aya-Chan. But, I brought you a gift!"

"I got you something too!"

They both took the packs on their backs off and took out boxes for each other.

Sakura gave her gift to Aya first.

"It's a new art set that my mom let me pick out for you! Last week you said you were running out of your paints so I got you new ones. I hope you like it! I also got you this bunny and bracelet!" Sakura smiled sweetly at her friend who hugged her tightly.

"Thanks Sakura-Chan!" Aya took Sakura's presents and placed them inside her bag. "These are for you!" She handed the pinkette a cherry blossom clip, a painting of the two under cherry blossom trees, and a cherry blossom shaped locket."

"Wow .. That's so pretty.. " Sakura stared at the paining in awe, which caused her friend's face to turn abit red.

They both sat down in the deserted playground, admiring each others gifts.

"Can you help me put this on Aya-Chan?" Sakura asked, holding up the necklace.

Aya nodded happily, "Only if you put on this bracelet for me!"

They helped each other put on the jewellery pieces and sat back down.

"I'm going to miss you Aya-Chan." Sakura said sadly.

"Me too Sakura-Chan." They hugged each other tightly and sighed.

"I have to go." Sakura said, frowning. As much as she wanted to stay with her friend, she still had one more person to see. "Pinky promise to write? We'll be best friends forever!"

Aya nodded, "Forever!" They locked their pinkies together and shook it.

Sakura ran down the road and turned the corner. She spotted her friend who was walking alittle bit ahead of her. His red hair standing out around all the sand colors of their village.

"Gaara-kun!"

He stopped and turned around, his blank face crumbling away at the sight of the one person who accepted him for who he was.

"Sakura-Chan?"

She caught up to him and grinned. "Ah, I got you! I have to leave today so I wanted to give my gift now." She beamed up at his surprised face.

"You got me a gift?" He asked slowly.

"Of course I did! You're my friend and I don't want you to forget about me!" She pulled her backpack off her back once more and rummaged through it.

"Here you go!" She handed him a bunny, a photo of the two of them, and a stack of thin square papers. The papers had a picture of a building much like the houses in their village with cherry blossoms scattered around, as if the wind were blowing them away.

"My dad helped me with these! You can use them on anything, even your clothing!" She showed him the corner of her shirt which held the same symbol. "I got you a bunch! But, you really only need one because they'll never stop being sticky."

Gaara took the gifts slowly. "No one's gotten me a gift before." He looked at her smiling softly. "Thank you Sakura-Chan." He took one of the papers and peeled off the picture, placing it on his sand gourd.

"We'll see each other again okay?" She smiled when he nodded at her slowly. "Just never forget me okay?" Sakura smiled sadly at Gaara who's face showed no emotion.

She turned around and ran in the direction of her house.

Gaara stared at the spot she had disappeared from. "Sakura-Chan.."

( 1 month later )

Sakura sobbed in her father's friends arms. A couple minutes earlier she had learned that her parents were killed while going out to a village to help with the war.

"Why .." She cried.

The man holding her stroked her hair gently.

"It's alright Sakura, everything will be okay."

Hours later, she fell asleep in his arms, dried tears staining her cheeks. When she woke, she found that she couldn't cry anymore. Even when she found out that her friend Aya had been killed, being caught in the war. She was informed when a letter came from the people currently residing in her friend's home. She didn't cry, but only clutched the locket around her neck tightly. Inside of it, held two photos; one of her and Gaara, and one of her and Aya.

"Sora-san, what will I do now?" Sakura turned to stare at the man sitting at the end of the bed.

Sora smiled softly at her and took out a piece of paper. "You're parents wanted you to move to Konoha, should anything happen. Unfortunately, the one you were to live with has left that place already, so for the time being you'll have to live alone."

He handed her a photo of her parents and her in their old home, a week before they ended up moving. She traced the curves of her mother's faces, the corners of her mouth, twitching upwards.

"I'll go pack now and leave tomorrow then." Sakura nodded to herself, leaving the room to gather her things.

XXXXXX

Sakura woke up to screams the next day, she scrambled off her bed and looked out the window. The war had now travelled to this village, destroying the whole place. The buildings were in ruins, being burned down.

She ran down the stairs of her father's friends home and was startled. Sora was fighting with someone, blood trickled down his arms. The clashing of metal echoed around the home.

Ninjas came forward, to every houses there were, making no time to escape. Her home was one of the last to be intact.

She hid in a small hole that had been burned through the wall. Too small for any adult to reach her, and watched horrified as Sora fought a losing battle.

"Get out of here Sakura! There's no time!" Sora's voice broke through her blank mind. She couldn't think, she could just stare at the scene before her.

As those words slipped through his mouth, the two who were fighting pierced each other at the same time in the spot left defenceless, which was the heart. Their weapons clattered on the ground, their bodies collapsing onto the floor.

Sakura just watched, her mind running a mile a minute. She scrambled out of her hiding place and grabbed her pack.

Being small, it was easy for her to hide, the ninjas not bothering with her, thinking she was dying with the small chakra coming from her body. She was able to escape, but on the way the deaths embedded in her mind travelled with her.