A/N: Hey guys! So happy to be here! Hi I'm Marrell and I'm an Aussie! I hope you like the story, I've been writing beginnings of so many SasuSaku fics as I'm quite the fanfiction reader myself and well, I just couldn't help myself, I had to start publishing my own! I'm a little worried with my ability to actually finish the story, but maybe with a little support I can make it happen! Ok, I'll stop blah blah-ing now haha :) Hope you like it!
Sakura sighed as she walked down the street. The streetlights all shone a bright white, except for a faulty lamp flickering in the distance and everywhere the light couldn't reach, darkness lay. Sakura shivered and pulled at her scarf as the wind blew past her. It was an icy cold night tonight in Konoha, so she had decided that wearing a scarf would be appropriate, however, the way the fabric rubbed against her neck irritated her greatly. She would just never be a scarf person. She let out another sigh and quickened her pace, eager to return to the warmth of her home.
Home.
Could she really call it that? She stopped dead in her tracks. Her thoughts raced by much too fast for her to keep up. Sakura shook her head, dismissing the thoughts, and returned to a slow, unsure pace. Her parents holiday house…it had been the better option than living in her childhood home, but memories were still locked up inside the walls of the modernised building. But no, that wasn't her home. What is the definition of home anyway?
Inner Sakura who was moping in the corner of Sakura's mind turned to face Sakura. "Well…it's definitely NOT 'where one lives' otherwise…we would be happy…"
Sakura nodded slowly in agreement as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. She reached the top and put the groceries down, freeing a hand so she could retrieve her keys out of her pocket. Awarded with a jingling sound as she tugged the ring of keys out of her pocket, she jammed the shiny silver key in the lock with a little more force than truly necessary…she turned the key and pushed the door open.
Cold, darkness greeted her and for a moment Sakura couldn't decide if it would be nicer to stay outside in the wind? She turned back to the stairs behind her. At least her parent's holiday house had a great view of the town. All the lights seemed to stretch out below her and Sakura felt hypnotised by the beauty of it.
Then Sakura spotted it.
Lights taller and brighter than street lamps in the direction of Konoha High, the school she would be attending tomorrow as a second year student. She really didn't like the whole 'new kid' ordeal she was going to have to go through. The school year had already begun, second semester would start tomorrow and she didn't know anyone.
Although she had been thrown into a scary situation, she wasn't really all too worried. If people didn't bother her, everything would be fine.
"Hey, looks like that lady at the fruit shop was right, there is a game on at the school tonight! Let's go watch!" Inner Sakura begged happily, leaping out of her gloomy corner in Sakura's mind.
Sakura smiled lightly and moved the groceries onto the floor inside the house. She hadn't bought anything that needed refrigeration so it would be fine. She pulled the key back out of the lock, pocketed them, and closed the door shut behind her. She leapt down the stairs leaping two at a time as she caught her last train of thought. For the first four years of her schooling life, Sakura had considered herself to be a fairly normal person, much like everyone around her. Sure, she did have trouble fitting in and her pink hair made her stand out like no other…but for some reason, no one wanted to be her friend, and she just could not understand…why?
Fifth grade is where it all started. Sakura squeezed her fists tight into the fabric of her jumper as she walked towards the school. Girls could be so cruel…
-xxx-
Flashback
"Oi! You!" a girl with bright red hair and glasses crossed the grassy field towards Sakura as she sat against the tree stump. Sakura looked up at the girl as the shadow loomed over her, two more shadows joined the first and Sakura was now staring up at three girls her age glaring down at her.
Sakura gulped. "What is it?" Sakura asked confused.
"What's your name!?" The other red head blurted out in an angry tone.
Sakura blinked and flinched a little at the bite in her words. "I'm…S-Sakura," she managed at last.
"Sakura huh…" the girl with the glasses repeated icily.
"Well now its billboard brow!" The blonde grinned rather pleased with herself.
The red head doubled over in laughter immediately and the girl with glasses smirked as she spoke, "yeah that's quite a huge forehead you have there billboard brow. Your bangs don't hide it at all!"
Sakura's eyes fluttered till she squeezed them shut tight. "Oh look she's going to cry Karin!" The red head stated gleefully.
"Billboard brow you're in our spot so beat it!" the blonde spat as she flicked her hair over her shoulder.
Sakura rubbed at her eyes and jumped up, turned on her heels and ran back to the classroom as fast as she could.
She had cried most of that night, till her parents both barged into her room with equally worried faces and open hearts. They both hushed her to sleep and assured her that everything would be alright…she really tried to believe them, but, the next day, was even worse.
Sakura was never a big people person. She often avoided seeking attention from anyone, especially her classmates. So, to Sakura's horror, the next day at school, everyone had accepted her new 'nickname' and the three girls who gave her that horrible name, had made her schooling experience hell for the rest of the year.
Sakura refused to go to school after that. Not knowing what else to do, her parent's home schooled her, well, until the accident.
End Flashback
-xxx-
Sakura laughed at the memory dryly as she walked through the front entrance of the school quickly and quietly. She followed the ever growing noises and shouts from the field as she crossed the courtyard. She reached the field where all the lights shone down on the athletes as they ran and the crowds of students sitting in the bleachers as they cheered loudly. The cheers echoed through the night and Sakura smiled happily as she leant against the low fence on her elbows.
The noise drowned as Sakura drank in the sight before her. This was her escape. Ever since she could remember, her father had practically drilled soccer into her life, and she had enjoyed every minute of it, while it had lasted. She sighed and shook the thought away before it got too depressing, instead returning her concentration to the game.
Both teams wore Konoha High emblems on their jerseys, a little odd. She decided not to read too much into it, after all, the jerseys were coloured differently at least. Red shirts against purple. "Must be a friendly match?" Inner Sakura suggested shrugging. Sakura didn't pay much attention to the comment, she was more focused on the boy in red shirt number nine, the striker. He was brilliant. The way he gracefully slid the ball out of each defenders reach, the way he won the ball back after a team mate lost control of the ball, even the way he ran.
Sakura's eyes brightened as he made his way towards the goals with the ball rolling quickly by his feet. He passed the ball off to the left and sprinted towards the middle of the goals. A white haired boy received the pass and ran towards the corner of the park, a purple shirt defender right on his heels. The boy gave a shark toothed grin before cutting the ball back quickly, successfully losing the defender, and with a strong swing, sent the ball flying through the air towards the goals.
Sakura clutched the top rail of the fence in a white knuckled grip as she watched the ball slowly descend. The boy in the red number nine jersey leapt into the air and using his head, he knocked the ball into the back of the net. The crowd roared with cheers and screams, the purple shirt supporters groaned in disappointment.
Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and breathed in again smiling as she watched the red team celebrate their goal.
"Please Karin! I'm s-sorry, just please let go of my hair!" Sakura whirled around and quickly her eyes snapped to the staircase in front of her till her green orbs landed on four female figures. Sakura immediately understood what was going on, and she would never forget that name for as long as she lived.
Karin.
And of course her two bumbling sidekicks, Ino and Tayuya. Anger built up within Sakura at a top speed; they were still doing this…bullying people who didn't deserve to be treated the way those three evil pigs treated everyone who wasn't up to their standards.
"Because of you I missed Sasuke-kun's goal you stupid bitch! If you had just brought the drinks earlier, I wouldn't have had to come find you!" Karin screeched at the top of her lungs.
"I'm so s-sorry Karin, it won't h-happen again…I-"
"SHUT UP!" Karin yelled and shoved the girl to the ground. Sakura couldn't hear the crowd anymore so it was safe to assume all the attention had been drawn this way. She sighed and closed the space between herself and the blue haired girl on the ground. She took the girls hand in hers and helped her to her feet slowly. The girl was startled and her violet eyes darted from Karin, to the audience, to the field of players and to the stranger helping her.
It was just too much.
Hinata felt like she was going to shatter right there and then when suddenly… "I'm Sakura. Would you… would you like to be my friend?"
Hinata's eyes widened in shock and she refused to blink, just in case this was her imagination, and with her record, it definitely could be. The pink haired girl, no, Sakura, smiled and Hinata felt warmth rush within her despite the cool night air around her. She nodded back a little eagerly, still worried that this was another of Tayuya's cruel jokes.
"Oh good!" Sakura beamed, "just a minute, I have something I need to do before I walk you home ok?"
"Y-You're walking me h-home?" Hinata repeated frazzled.
"Mhmm" came Sakura's distant reply making Hinata realise that the pinkette had left her side.
"Sakura-san! P-Please w-wait don't-" Hinata's words fell on deaf ears.
"Oi skanks."
Hinata's jaw dropped faster than a grand piano falling from a ten story building. There was a deafening silence between the crowd and the players and Sakura's words echoed loudly.
"What did you just call us you little bitch?" Tayuya glared dangerously.
"Keep your fangs in your mouth you snake, and stay away from my new friend…uh" Sakura turned back to the blue haired girl with a dopey grin on her face, "what was your name again?"
I-I'm H-H-Hinata…Sakura-san I-" Sakura nodded and turned back to the other three girls.
"As I was saying, stay away from Hinata-chan or I'll kick your ass." Sakura snarled and walked back over to Hinata holding out her hand. "Come on, let's go" Sakura said cheerfully. Hinata took her hand shakily and her whole body went stiff as Karin spoke in a dangerously low tone.
"You better watch yourself you pink haired bitch, what you did tonight; I'll get you back soon."
Sakura laughed and pulled Hinata over to the fence where she had been standing, ignoring Karin completely. "Hey Hinata-chan, has the game ended or what? They aren't moving and stuff? Should we just go home?"
"Hey pinky!" Sakura's head snapped to the white haired boy standing at the front of the group of red shirts in the middle of the field. Sakura raised an eyebrow asking him silently to continue. "You're a feisty one aren't ya!" The boy grinned mischievously. "And quite the crowd pleaser."
Sakura laughed out loud as she looked at all the pairs of eyes staring at her either shocked, wide eyed or angrily. Giving in to temptation her eyes moved past the white haired boy and into the sea of red shirts until they landed on number nine. Her body heated up immediately, he was HOT! But that wasn't all, he was looking at her with a burning, amused, sensational look in his dark eyes and a perfect smirk set on his lips. Sakura put the leash back on her wandering eyes and returned the shark toothed boys gaze.
She smirked. "I guess I am."
The boy laughed, "there's a good ten minutes left so stay and watch us kick some Hyuuga ass alright!" Sakura nodded noticing the girl beside her tense up at his words. "Oh I'm Suigetsu by the way pinky."
"Are you like, one of those guys that give everyone a nick name or something?" Sakura asked, still smirking.
"Nah, that would be Naruto" Suigetsu laughed. The Hyuuga tensed again and Sakura gave her a questioning look but Hinata just turned her head up to the stars innocently.
"Naruto huh" Sakura said, directing her smirk to Hinata.
"SUIGETSU! Will you stop flirting with that bitch…didn't you see what she just did! Karin screeched loudly and stormed up to the boy.
"That's exactly why I'm talking to her, she's fucking awesome! Anyways, later pinky I have a match to win." Karin huffed loudly as Suigetsu galloped over to his team.
"Come on Karin, let's just go back to our seat…" Ino suggested slowly as she stared at Sakura. Sakura raised an eyebrow in her direction. Did Ino recognise her? Karin agreed with a nod and walked off followed by Tayuya and Ino turned and joined them after one last glance at the pinkette with a quizzical look in her blue eyes.
"That would be a noooo," inner Sakura grinned, "I guess our forehead isn't as big as it used to be."
"Yeah…" Sakura replied distantly. The sound of the whistle blowing, continuing that match broke Sakura out of her trance, and she joined Hinata leaning on the fence.
-xxx-
"Sakura-san…" Hinata mumbled as the two girls walked along the path in the cool night air.
"What's up? And it's just Sakura, or Sakura-chan ok! No need to be so formal, we're friends right!?"
"Ahh, yes, S-Sakura-chan…I-I was w-wondering, why you did all that, w-why did you w-want to be…friends?" Hinata asked and looked away shyly. Sakura laughed happily and Hinata turned to her new friend quickly with a questioning look. This made Sakura laugh harder till she ceased laughing altogether and resulted to silent guffaws. Hinata waited patiently, pushing the tips of her fingers together as she shifted nervously. Eventually, Sakura took a breath in and straightened up looking at Hinata.
"OH KAME-SAMA'S! You were serious!? Hinata! I did what any normal person in my situation would do! If someone's being bullied you stick up for them! No questions asked! I start at Konoha High tomorrow and you seem nice, so I'll be your friend," Sakura said with a serious nod.
"You shouldn't have done what you did! You would have made so many friends but now you can't because of me…don't you understand!" Hinata screamed, tears threatening to spill.
"Whoa, hold up…first of all, that's the first sentence you've made without a stutter, and you're a little scary with your voice raised," Sakura said with a grin, "but serious now, why can't I make friends now, because of you? I don't understand."
"Because! I'm the punching bag of Konoha High! I don't have any friends and nobody talks to me unless they want someone to tease!" Hinata broke into tears and turned to run into her house, (which inner Sakura noted was HUGE!)
"Hinata-chan…that's the second sentence without a stutter" Sakura grinned and grabbed the Hyuuga's wrist. She tugged the shaking girls arm lightly and pulled her into a hug.
"I don't care if you're my only friend for the rest of my high schooling days! You aren't getting rid of me that easily alright? And starting tomorrow, I'll be your own personal shield. It might take a while but eventually no one will bother you ever again, I promise."
"H-H-How?" Hinata choked out through her tears.
"Aww, and you were doing so good without the stutter too!" Hinata laughed softly into Sakura's shoulder.
"I'll be the new punching bag." Sakura stated determinedly.
Hinata struggled out of Sakura's grasp. "NO!" Hinata said angrily.
"Look Hina-chan, don't get me wrong, they'll have a tough time getting to me. Everything will be fine, we can make friends together, agreed?" Sakura held up her pinky. Hinata stared at the outstretched pinky finger, tears stained her face, yet her eyes were burning almost determinedly. She locked her pinky with the pinkette with a sharp nod.
"Ok!" Sakura smiled happily and turned to walk back home satisfied.
"W-Wait!" Hinata said softly.
Sakura turned and studied her new friends face curiously.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Hinata said smiling happily.
Sakura grinned. "That's three times now!" Sakura laughed, "We'll fix that shy stutter of yours! YOSH! See you tomorrow Hina-chan!" Sakura waved and jogged off into the night.
-xxx-
A/N: Hope I see you back here again by chapter 2! Thanks for reading! :)