"Just because someone is important to you, it doesn't necessarily mean that, that person is good. Even if you knew that person was evil... People cannot win against their loneliness." -Gaara
Sakura's story began with cherry blossoms.
Contrary to the popular belief, she wasn't named because of her hair. Rather, she was named because on the date of her birth, there was an unusual amount of cherry blossoms in the Leaf Village. Her mother, Mebuki Haruno, had opted for a home birth.
Sakura was named Sakura because the cherry blossoms had supposedly given Mebuki the strength to push on during her birth.
After that, Sakura had a normal childhood.
Her parents didn't dote on her nor did they neglect her.
Their household income was average, gained through D-ranks and occasional C-ranks her parents took. They had never tried becoming Jounin, simply because they weren't cut out for it.
Sakura, just like any kid whose parents were shinobi, opted to join the Academy. Simply because she had been expected to.
There, she met her best friend and soon to be rival in love, Ino Yamanaka. She met her love interest and the boy who she would crush on even when he abandoned her, Sasuke Uchiha. She met the boy who practically represented sunshine and promises, Naruto Uzumaki. She met others, of course, but those three in particular stood out in her memories.
She graduated as the top kunoichi, making her family of three proud.
She landed in Team Seven, the most dysfunctional team of all. But they had a fun time, didn't they? They went on missions, they bickered, they trained together and they went through a battle against Orochimaru together.
Of course, her team quickly disbanded when Sasuke turned rogue and Naruto went on a training trip.
This was a critical point in Sakura's story. Would she idly wait for her teammates or would she strive to catch up with them?
She chose the latter, quickly impressing Tsunade Senju with her chakra control and thus becoming the Hokage's priced student.
Being the Hokage's priced student came with many perks. She was privy to many secrets, techniques and connections. Her social circle practically expanded beyond her tentative friendship with the Rookie Nine and Team Gai. Working at the hospital only amplified her perks, by gaining her many favors from civilians, Leaf-nin and even the occasional foreign nin who got themselves injured in the Land of Fire.
In three years, Sakura had completely changed the course of her story, making her a key player in Konoha. Enough for her to even be considered for a position as the next Hokage, should anything happen to Tsunade.
Then, a main character in Sakura's story came back.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Wherever Naruto Uzumaki was, excitement was sure to follow.
So, of course the newly reformed Team Seven would be tasked with retrieving the kidnapped Kazekage.
'Though I definitely didn't sign up to fight against the Akatsuki,' Sakura thought to herself, as she and Chiyo faced Sasori.
Naruto had ran off after the other Akatsuki who had taken Gaara's corpse.
Kakashi-sensei of course followed the blonde.
So, obviously Sakura would have to team up with Chiyo.
'Not to mention, I never signed up to fight an Akatsuki with a former Sand-nin,' Sakura clenched her fists, steeling herself for battle.
Sakura had and always will be unnerved by Sand-nin.
Perhaps it was because of her experience with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro during her first Chunin Exam. Sure, they had changed. But that didn't magically make Sakura's unease go away. Heck, the Sand siblings had never even tried to redeem themselves in her eyes.
She was sure they only now noticed her because she had saved Kankuro's life.
In conclusion: Sakura didn't really like working with Sand-nin.
But, she was a shinobi.
She wouldn't nitpick. Besides, Chiyo obviously knew Sasori's skillset.
"Sakura, listen to me," Chiyo urged, "Together we will defeat him."
"Of course, Chiyo-sama."
Sakura wouldn't die.
She worked too hard to just drop dead.
She worked too damned had to just drop dead.
So, she couldn't help the victorious smirk she had as she, with the assistance of Chiyo, had managed to break Hiruko, revealing the real face of Akasuna no Sasori.
She quickly jumped back next to Chiyo, putting some distance between her and the missing-nin.
'So this is what he looks like,' she thought to herself, taking in his features.
He had plain brown eyes.
His hair hung around his face, surrounding his eyes and fluttering near the edges of his mouth. It was as red as blood. A fitting color for one with the tittle "Sasori of the Red Sand."
"Well, do you really think it will be that easy, Grandma Chiyo?" Sasori asked, a confident smile tugging on his lips.
'Grandma Chiyo?' Sakura wondered, looking at Chiyo.
"And Sakura..."
Sakura's eyes widened, quickly looking back at Sasori who was keenly observing her, from the tips of her toes, to the pink strands on her head. Finally, he looked her in the eye, his confident smile still in place. But he seemed pleased.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? You've gotten stronger than I could ever imagine, compared to the crybaby who couldn't even look me in the eye back then."
Sakura frowned at his words, "I don't know who you are. I've never seen you before," she evenly said, deducing that Sasori was probably playing mind games with her.
"Oh, but you have. You just don't remember. Let me remedy that."
Sasori brought his hand up in a seal Sakura didn't recognize.
Sakura moved to stop Sasori, only to fall on her knees.
She clutched her head as an extreme amount of pain overtook her, causing her to scream out.
"Sakura!" Chiyo yelled, concerned.
She couldn't hear the elderly woman though.
Memories were being shoved into her head.
"A mortal body, limited by the need to eat and drink. Pathetic."
.
.
"Art is eternal."
.
.
"What's your name?"
.
.
.
.
.
"Sakura, become mine."
.
.
.
.
"You think you can become a puppet of mine? No, it's impossible. You're more suited to become my doll."
.
.
"I won't acknowledge a brat like you."
.
.
.
"One day, I'll come and make you remember me. If I don't come, it means I'm probably not as eternal as I thought."
.
.
Sakura's story was a lie, or rather Sakura herself was a lie.
Maybe.
Regardless, her story didn't begin with cherry blossoms.
Her story began with sand grains and harsh winds.
Her story was supposed to end before she turned four, with her dying of starvation or bumping into a homicidal Jinchuriki.
However, this wasn't the case.
She had been saved.
Her savior was-
"Sasori," Sakura immediately gasped, standing back on her feet, "I remember you," though the younger her would have been more happy to see him, the her of now didn't know what to do.
"You really have changed, Sakura."
The way he was looking at her made her shiver.
She knew what the look he was giving her meant.
He was questioning her loyalty.
Her loyalty, which has and always remain to him, regardless of her personal feelings.
"You," Sakura breathed out, "I serve only you, Sasori."
Yes, she still cared for her friends, but the bond she had with Sasori couldn't be dented by the ten years she's spent away from him. Sasori was her savior. Arguably the most ruthless missing-nin from the Sand Village, but her savior.
He broke her.
Then remade her.
She owed everything to him.
Staring at Sasori, she had many questions for him.
Why do you still look the same?
Why didn't you come for me?
When did you join the Akatsuki?
Did you keep track of me?
But none of those questions were appropriate for the situation she was in.
"What do you want me to do?"
Sasori smirked.
She knew she had asked the right thing.
"Take care of the old hag."
"As you wish."
Schooling her feature into a calm expression, Sakura faced Chiyo who was staring at her in shock.
"Sakura, think about this! Do you have any idea what you're doing? Sasori killed your friend!"
Sakura cracked her knuckles, not even flinching at the questions being thrown at her, "Gaara tried to kill me when I was twelve, you know? Not someone I'd consider a friend."
Using the surprise Chiyo gained from her words, she charged in.
Sasori of the Red Sand had turned a little girl into a spy of his ten years ago.
The girl was admittedly one of his more liked spies, by virtue of her doll like features. He took her in on a whim, just because she looked like a doll, playing on the idea of turning her into a puppet when she was older so that she could be eternal, just like him.
But then, he had saw a spark in her eyes.
Something he couldn't portray if he turned her into a puppet.
So, she would be his doll. Simple as that.
Sasori's smirk widened as his doll ruthlessly attacked his grandmother, not even giving the elderly woman a second to summon any puppets.
Of course, Chiyo wasn't by any means weak without her puppets. In fact his grandmother could quite hold her own in a Taijutsu battle, despite being retired. But a Taijutsu battle against Sakura wasn't just a normal one considering Sakura had inherited Tsunade's massive strength.
His grandmother was stuck dodging Sakura's strikes, without being able to catch her breath.
"A puppeteer without a puppet is just a regular person, it seems," Sasori mocked, a feral smile on his features.
He locked eyes with his grandmother.
'Never look away from your opponent, isn't that what you taught me?'
Sakura took the opening, connecting a punch to Chiyo's stomach causing the old hag to skid away, landing on her back.
Sasori could hear Chiyo's bones breaking from where he was standing.
"Sasori?"
"Kill her."
"S-sakura...please..."
Sakura's eyes widened, emotion finally showing on the girl as she looked down at Chiyo who was trying to heal herself. Her body language portrayed conflict. She was hesitating to kill Chiyo.
"Sakura, I don't like to be kept waiting," Sasori drawled.
His words seemed to spark something in her, because she was no longer hesitating.
"I know."
Sasori didn't even blink as Sakura stomped on his grandmother's face, effectively crushing her brains in.
'Farewell grandma..'
No normal human being could survive that.
(Well, except for Hidan, Kakuzu and Orochimaru, but they weren't normal. Sasori doubted they were even human.)
Sakura looked at Sasori, finding it easier to look at him than at the dead woman laying next to her feet.
"Do you acknowledge me now?" She couldn't help but ask him, a harsh tone accompanying her words.
"Hmph," Sasori didn't even blink as he walked towards her, "I acknowledge that you're a brat to be reckoned with."
Sakura couldn't help but smile.
Being acknowledged by someone who meant the world to you kinda had that effect. Ten years ago she would have killed for him to acknowledge her. She still would. And she did.
"More importantly, what am I going to do with you, brat?"
Sakura straightened up as Sasori stood in front of her.
"You can send me back to Konoha," Sakura mumbled a suggestion, distaste in her tone.
"No, you've collected enough information," Sasori stated in a matter of fact way, "You're more useful by my side then you are wasting away in a hospital."
Sakura didn't even let herself blink as Sasori's gaze filtered down to where Chiyo lay, "You killed her on my orders, but would you kill your friends on my orders?"
"...if they tried to kill you.." Sakura said, looking away.
She didn't think she could really kill her friends.
But she couldn't betray Sasori either.
She shivered, feeling him play with the strands of her hair.
"I see, I suppose that was an unfair question," he looked back at her, "Look at me," he practically growled at her, growing impatient.
Sakura automatically looked him in the eyes.
"Sakura, would you die for me?"
Sakura didn't even have to think.
"Yes."
Yes, yes, yes.
Sasori walked away, towards the entrance of the cave.
"Come on then, I-"
"Don't like to be kept waiting, I know," Sakura cut him off, jogging after him.
"Hmph, insolent brat."
"I'll get you to acknowledge me as more than a brat one day, Sasori," Sakura promised.
Sasori didn't bother answering, instead leaping away, probably in the direction he and his partner were supposed to meet up.
Sakura paused.
An image of a blond blue eyed boy appeared in her head.
'Sorry Naruto, you'll have to get Sasuke-kun back yourself.'
Then, she leaped after Sasori.
Chapter End.
Author's Note: New story, again. Even I don't know when I'm going to actually finish a story.
Where did this idea came from? Well, uh, I've had it in my head since December, so yeaaah... Expect me to write other stories where Sakura is paired with someone from the Akatsuki too. (DeiSaku is probably going to be written next)
Questions~!
1. Favorite Sakura pairing and why?
2. Least favorite Sakura pairing and why?
My answers:
1. Damn, I like a lot of Sakura pairings. If I had to choose, I guess it'll be her and my favorite character. So Sakura x Shikamaru. Smart girl meets smart boy. Bossy and Lazy. They'd be like an awesome power couple. Too bad there aren't many fanfics about them, man I should write one. Like imagine Ino being Sakura's soulmate? Well, people say soulmates get reincarnated as twins. So Sakura ends up being Ino's twin, but like retaining most of her physical appearance. And then like she gets along more with Shikamaru, and damn...I'm gonna write that one day.
2. hmmm, this one is infinitely hard for me. I guess, my least favorite would be...Sakura & Kiba? They'd look good together, I know. But most of the fics I read with them together portrays them as horny idiots or something. Like no, if they were really a pairing they wouldn't be constantly fucking or something. Jeez.