Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... unfortunately.

A/N: One of my first anthologies here. Sakura's just a young Academy ninja here, so I wrote her as a bit self-conscious and shy... I thought of her as depending on Ino a lot, because Ino was always the extroverted one.

Reviews would be most appreciated. Enjoy!

Courage

Ino had always told her to be brave. She had told her countless times never to back down if she wanted to do something, to speak out to protect herself. Even with these words echoing in her head, Sakura couldn't bring herself to have a little courage. She couldn't help but feel hurt at the malicious words often thrown at her, couldn't help but feel warm tears slipping down her cheeks whenever she saw a sneer thrown towards her cowering form. On this particular day, a group of girls she still didn't know the names of had been especially mean to her, throwing grass, sticks, and leaves at Sakura's tiny, huddled frame while laughing at the way her watery green eyes threatened to overflow with tears. Ino was sick and bedridden, and did not appear at the Academy like she usually did. Without her best friend, Sakura felt utterly alone and… helpless. Weak.

'Hey! Forehead-Girl! Is it true that your forehead covers more than half of your face?'

'Loner.'

'She thinks she's so cool just because she's friends with Ino.'

'Freak.'

Her pink little head shuddered as the words of the other students buried their way into her mind, no matter how hard she tried to forget about them. 'Ignore them. Be brave, like Ino said. Like Ino said…'

Sakura sighed, dragging her feet along the grass as she moved away from the huddle of Academy students, who were giggling and enjoying their lunch. Ears perked at every little whisper, every suppressed laugh thrown her way, and her already self-consciously hunched form withered and shrunk until she just wanted to dissolve into nothing. Her tiny feet broke into a clumsy sprint as a single tear slid down her rosy cheek.

'Wannabe.'

'Stuck-up.'

"Ino…" She whispered under her breath, tears she had held back for so long streaming down her face. 'I can't do it… I'll never be brave…'

Sitting down on a hillside, Sakura covered her face with her hands as her body racked with sobs. 'What is… courage?'

After she was worn out and completely dried of tears, she lifted puffy eyes to her surroundings, clutching her bento box like it was the only thing holding her steady in the world. She realized that the hill she was sitting on overlooked a magnificent lake, one that she had walked past many times when coming home from the Academy. There was a little dock jutting out into the water just below her, where a lone figure caught her eye.

Sakura squinted, sniffling a bit, as she tried to make out who this person was. It was definitely a boy, close to her age. He had black spiky hair and seemed to be glaring across the surface of the lake. She guessed he was an Academy student, and was proven right when she spotted a discarded bento to his side. Her eyes slid to his back, where a red and white symbol stood out boldly against his black, high-collared shirt. A fan… 'An Uchiha?'

The young girl had heard about the prestigious Uchiha clan, but did not know much about it. All she knew was that something horrifying had happened to the shinobi of that clan recently, and that all of its members were murdered except for two. She had overheard her parents talking about the incident. They had strictly forbidden Sakura to go anywhere near the Uchiha Compound, and she, out of fear, didn't dare to step foot in that part of the village. Who was this boy who so proudly wore the dead clan's symbol upon his back? As she knew it, the only remaining Uchiha in Konoha was…

"Uchiha Sasuke…" She murmured in awe as she watched the boy silently. She had heard lots of girls talking about this "last Uchiha" and his infamous smirk, but she had never gotten the chance to see him, to actually study him somewhat. His eyes were trained on the lake, a deep scowl on his face. Even though he was as young as her, his face looked weathered and more mature, with eyes shaded in darkness. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Sakura was thoroughly mystified by this mysterious boy; his intense gaze, the dark shadows around him, his powerful atmosphere…

The Uchiha's head suddenly whipped around, his gaze locking with her stare. His eyes narrowed, and for a few agonizing seconds, onyx met jade in a deathly glare. Sakura, too surprised to look away and too frightened to keep staring, gave a little shriek and scrambled away, settling behind a nearby tree. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. 'He saw me…'

Cheeks reddening considerably, she cautiously peered around the tree, eyes wide with fear and excitement. The boy had his back to her once again, and it seemed like those last few seconds between them had never occurred. Sakura should have been scared of this boy, she should have wanted to avoid him at all costs. According to her shy nature, that was how she was supposed to feel. But through that brief locking of their eyes, she felt a kind of bond with him. A connection.

She was enticed to stare at those incredibly expressive midnight depths of his eyes, was compelled to know more about him. Was this what bravery felt like? This feeling of recklessness, of desire for danger, was this courage? This Uchiha Sasuke was dangerous, she knew, but she wanted to know more. She wanted to get closer.

Sakura had always believed in love at first sight. She had dreamed of that very day when she would meet eyes with a stranger, and they would fall so passionately in love with each other that he would sweep her off her feet into a delightful happily ever after. Even though it was not exactly love, Haruno Sakura was sure she definitely liked Uchiha Sasuke. She did not get to experience love at first sight after all. Rather ironically, she was infatuated at first glare.