Author's Note:

Ah, yes. A new story after, what?, 56719378182791 years? I'm sorry, I was swamped with school work. Erh. This is just a Before-New-Years-Day sorry gift-ish-thing. I hope you'll forgive me. Anyway, I'll try to update this as soon as possible, okay?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Why? Because he got OWNED by Kishimoto. Get it? Get it? No? Oh okay.

Sakura Haruno is a photographer. A professional one at that. She scours the streets of Konoha, taking random candid shots of the beauty around it. She'd take a photo of the scenery or the expressions of people around her. She was 9 when she decided to be a photographer when she grew up. It was the day of her father's birthday. She noticed how happy his father was, so, she took a picture of him with that smile. Her father, however, was unaware of the antics his only daughter was doing. But when he answered that call, his smile faded away and turned into one of surprise, realization, grief and sadness in a matter of seconds. Sakura took a picture of every fleeting expression. She never wanted to miss a thing that time. Sakura's father looked at her and dropped the phone. Then he told her what the phone call was about. Her mother got into a car accident while trying to get to her husband's birthday party.

It was a beautiful afternoon walking down the streets of Konoha and she decided she had enough pictures for the day. She loved Konoha. The seasons are beautiful when it struck this city. It was here where she met her boyfriend. It was the perfect setting actually. He was sitting on a bench along the sidelines of a footpath. Behind him was a tree in full bloom, silently dancing to the breeze. He was slouching, had his eyes closed and headphones covered his ears. Sakura, sitting on a bench a few feet in front of him, decided to snap pictures. To a passerby, it would look like the girl was stalking her unrequited love and taking photos while she's at it. But Sakura Haruno did not care about what other people think. She was an artist. She creates and she doesn't mind the opinion of others. Snap! Snap! To this very day, he still would not tell her why he took off his headphones and smiled at her. Sakura was pointing her camera at him and she, through that small photo hole of her device, noticed that her subject had moved and paid attention to her. She quickly lowered her camera and looked anywhere but him. It would probably be the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to her. Usually, she never got caught doing such acts but today doesn't seem to be her luck day. A presence by her side alarmed her. "May I see the photos you took?" He was smiling at her. "Ah, y-yeah. Sure, here." She handed him the camera for him to see. "Sorry about that. The view was just interesting. I could delete it if you want." She insisted. She also took this opportunity to take a closer look at the boy who was silently dozing off a while ago. Weird whisker-like dimples, sunny blonde hair and sea blue eyes. What remarkable features. "No, you don't have to." He handed her back the camera. "But, it would be nice if you'd let me take you out for a drink." He grinned. "It's a nice deal in exchange for a couple of photos." His grin grew wider. If that was possible. "That would be nice." Sakura agreed. "What's your name by the way?" Naruto asked. "I'm Sakura Haruno." And that was the start of a romance that would bloom in two years.

As Sakura was crossing the street to her, their, apartment, she realized that life has got it going good for her. But, you know, this streak could only last for so long. They once said that somewhere in your life you'll have twenty years of good luck. It could be anywhere in your lifeline. It could be from birth to your teen years or it could be in your young adult years to your early forties. It could also come late and extend to the senior years. The rest of your lifeline will be normal after those twenty years of good fortune. So as she opened her bedroom door, she realized that her twenty years of good fortune has finally come to an end.

Of course, an ordinary girl would run away and cry her eyes out upon seeing the situation at hand, but Sakura isn't an ordinary girl. You see, the brain of Sakura Haruno isn't as typical as the average person. When she sees her boyfriend underneath two stripped women, well, her mind first took notice that they were having sex on her sheets. Those soft silky pink sheets of hers that she got from a bargain sale were all she became aware of. "S-Sakura-chan! I-I didn't know you'd b-be home so early." Naruto stuttered. Being the Sakura Haruno that she was, she blankly stared at him.

"You ruined my sheets." She said this in a monstrously quiet voice. Then her right eye began to twitch. "I-It's not what you think, Sakura-chan!" Naruto desperately tried to cover his man parts in the attempt to lessen the tension in the air. Sakura crossed the room, headed to her drawer and took out a pair of scissors. She pointed this to the sluts standing beside the bed with all their naked glories. "You two. Get out." She said once again in that quiet voice that bared the hidden message within her words. If you disobey me, I will kill you. The whores quickly nodded, gathered their stuff and ran out the apartment. They didn't even bother to dress up. Hell, no one would dress up in front of a Sakura that was emitting every ounce of killing intent but was still able to maintain composure in her voice. Naruto, who thought that the order was also directed to him, stood up and walked towards his scattered clothes. "Not you. Stay. Sit. Don't move." Sakura, all the while pointing the scissors on his manhood, ordered. Naruto's junk shrunk upon the threat and followed every order for fear that he's going to lose his only tool to help reproduce mankind. He didn't even give a second thought that maybe Sakura was bluffing. He has known Sakura for two years intimately and personally. Sakura wasn't the type of person to bluff. When she means it, she fucking means it.

Sakura crossed the room and opened their closet. She sat down in front of it and took out Naruto's clothes one by one and started to snip them. She nicked them into a cross so he wouldn't be able to wear anything. His underwear was an exception. She tore them into confetti-like pieces. This continued for about fifteen minutes. She finally finished and she went for the clothes on the floor. Snip snip snip Pieces of fabric fell to the floor. "Get out." She didn't look at him. She couldn't look at him. "S-Sakura-chan! You ripped all of my freakin' clothes! How am I supposed to go out?" Naruto took in all of his clothes in pieces. His Levi's was tattered and those were his favorites! "You seem comfortable being naked in front of two women. Why not try being naked in front of Konoha?" She tapped the edge of her scissors to his shrinking junk. Pathetic little ass. Naruto hurriedly nodded, grabbed his wallet and headed out the door.

Sakura's apartment was quaint and homey. She had lived in it ever since her father passed away. It was a two-bedroom apartment that overlooked the Hokage tower. It was love at first sight when she saw this. Although the price was just slightly above her budget she somehow managed to pull-off the rent. When she moved in, she used the small bedroom as her studio. The walls in that room are mostly covered with collages about her interests, friends and family and her cat, Piffle. Sakura brought home this cat when it was still a kitten. She saw it stranded in a little box beside the garbage can under the pouring rain. It was a cute little kitty with blue and green eyes covered in white fur. Of course, Piffle's coat wasn't as beautiful as she discovered it but after a few rinses the coat returned to its former glow. The cat was the sweetest cat Sakura has ever known but he could be lazy at best. Until Naruto showed up that is. The Piffle that was lazy as hell turned into a hissing cougar when he was in the vicinity. Naruto tried to befriend the kitty but all he got in return was scratches. In the end, they both ignored each other. Now, Sakura understood why Piffle was such a grouch when that dumbass was around.

Sakura trudged to her couch and plopped herself face-first. That was when the waterworks started. She continued to bawl and bawl and bawl as if she was a little kid who was lost in a big scary grocery store. Slowly, with mascara tear stains on her cheeks, she drifted into slumber. It was around seven in the evening that she woke up. She was awakened by the consecutive doorbells and Piffle's meows. She dragged herself towards the door and peeked at the peephole. Like any other Konoha resident, you mustn't immediately open your door to anyone. It could be a murderer or thief and Sakura wasn't in a state in where she could defend herself. Beyond the small circular hole that allows viewing to the outside, Sakura also encountered an eye looking right back at her. "Sakura, open up. It's me, Ino." And with that, Sakura let the blonde girl in.

Ino Yamanaka is Sakura Haruno's best friend, caretaker, matchmaker, mother, father, sister, guardian, councilor, diary, etc etc. She has been since they were, what, eight months old? Ino has been with Sakura through ups and downs, back and forths, worst and bests, happiness and sadness, sickness and health. They were practically attached at the hip for that matter. Ino Yamanka is a reporter for the local TV news station who's trying to get promoted to an anchorwoman. Upon seeing her best friend in such a miserable state, she said "You idiot! Why didn't you call me right away?" The blonde debonair took hold of Sakura's wrist and pulled her to the couch. She headed straight to the kitchen and called out, "I brought pizza and ice cream." As she placed the ice cream into her best friend's refrigerator and took out two slices of pizza. She plopped down next to Sakura and handed her the plate with the pizza. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Ino said with a mouthful of pizza slob on her lips. She has never seen Sakura this quiet before besides her mother and father's death. During those dark times, Ino encountered a Sakura who has reverted into her shell of solidarity. She would refuse to talk to anyone and to leave her room. She was slowly but surely trying to push everyone who cared about her away. Ino was the only one who pushed back. Ino was also the one who brought her back to life. Literally. After her parent's death, Sakura became a stronger woman. Someone more stable. Ino would hate to see her crumble back to those times.

"He's a dick." Sakura, on her third slice of pizza, said. She's a mess. But she can still stand. Ino thought. Sakura stood up and walked inside her studio. Later to come out with photos of her and the guy who broke her heart. She placed them in the coffee table in front of Ino. She went to her bathroom and also took out an orange toothbrush and placed them in the coffee table along with the pictures. After that, she went to the kitchen, grabbed a tin can and a match box. She placed all of the things scattered atop the coffee table in the tin can, lit a match and threw it in the tin can. The pictures and the plastic orange toothbrush gradually got engulfed with flames. Ino could only sit back and watch. Sakura sat back down with Ino and watched the flames. "I could go kick him in the nuts if that would help you feel better." Ino suggested. Sakura sadly chuckled. "That won't be necessary. I already imprinted an image of me castrating him." Both of the girls laughed but suddenly stopped when smoke started to surround the apartment. Then the fire alarm went off together with the fire sprinklers.

"Crap."

"Aww, now the pizza's all drenched."