Sakura was hiding in the forest behind the Academy. Her breaths were short and harsh as she curled against a tree, tears blurring the world around her.
What was wrong with her forehead? Was it really that big? Also, did Ami have to scream in front of the class about how disgusting it was?
Sakura wiped her tears and laid in the grass. She just now noticed the others had already gone back inside. Sakura bit her lip. She should be inside too. Lessons were about to start.
A breeze stirred her hair and the tall grass around her. It was a beautiful day, and the dappled sunlight danced on the leaves. Songbirds chirped above, and she could see them flitting about in the sky. It was much quieter here, and no one would scream at her. But if she went back to class, surely she would be scolded by the teacher and laughed at by the other girls.
No, she didn't want to go back. Having made up her mind, Sakura settled down and took a nap.
Of course, her parents were called. Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki , being ninja themselves, sensed there was something more to the situation. But Sakura, no matter what, would not tell them what happened, and her parents agreed to let her handle it as long as her grades didn't slip.
Still, her parents had insisted on teaching her several self-defense moves. And patted her forehead many times, insisting on its beauty.
Sakura studied extra hard for this test. She didn't need friends, didn't need to waste time worrying what they thought of her. Plus, she was growing fond of naps, and she couldn't do that without good grades. She was ecstatic when she got a 100.
Ever since then, Sakura never got an imperfect score. Eventually they stopped calling her parents. Sakura started getting scowls from a boy called Sasuke, who was always second to her in the rankings. What was his problem? He was cute, but not when he scowled. Whenever he did that, Sakura stuck her tongue out just to giggle at his constipated expression.
She had also gained a new seatmate in the form of Ino. She was nice to Sakura, but unfortunately had strict parents and couldn't nap with her. Sakura was happy nonetheless.
Sometimes Sakura would skip school entirely and walk around the village. She liked to go to the library and read there, but she also liked to watch movies, climb trees, observe ninja at training grounds, and talk to the vendors from outside of Konoha. Sakura was a very busy kunoichi when she wasn't learning how to be a kunoichi.
Sakura had a problem. Her parents had realized she was skipping school, and she really didn't want to be caught. Fortunately, she quickly found a solution in a fellow delinquent.
"Eh? You want me to teach you the henge?" The blonde gave her a disbelieving look. "No thanks. Haven't you heard I'm the demon of Konoha or whatever? Go play in a sandbox or something."
Sakura's face remained dead serious. "A week of ramen, my treat."
"…when do we start?"
Looking into the crystal ball, the Hokage facepalmed. He had hoped that Sakura would be a good influence…
Kakashi looked down on Naruto and Sakura from his perch in the trees. He could just barely hear Naruto's proclamations of "Sakura-chan, you're the best!" while Sakura frantically counted bills to pay the ramen vendor, cursing all the while. His eye curved gently as he smiled.
Sakura found that as long as she hung out with Naruto, with the exception of Ino, the other girls were too scared to come close. It had something to do with how Naruto thought he was a demon, but whatever. In Sakura's opinion, that was kind of cool. Demon or not, he had taught her the henge.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed in her ear.
Sakura clutched at her ear and fell over, letting out a drawn out groan. Naruto was unimpressed.
"Oh, stop it! Come look!" He gestured to a store that was overflowing with…neon. "Let's go shopping!"
Sakura gave him a look, then switched to clutching at her wallet instead.
They bought fur-lined jackets ("Like the second hokage's!" Naruto had said) and fingerless gloves and scarves and shoes and shuriken all in various shades of neon. Sakura and Naruto wore them with head held high, reveling in the winces of teachers and students alike.
"Hey Naruto?" Sakura laid on top of the Yondaime's head.
"Hmm?" There was a splash as Naruto smacked a brushful of pink paint on the Yondaime's right cheek.
"Do you think we should get a job?"
"Ehhh? Why?" Another splash.
"My parents are starting to get suspicious where the money's going. The reality is that you're eating up cash with ramen. They think I'm buying that Sasuke's answers." Sakura scoffed. As if. How did Sasuke expect to get better grades when he was cooped up in the classroom all day long? Sitting in the same position all day killed brain cells, she was pretty sure.
"Ha!"
"I know, right? Should we ask around or something?"
"No need, Sakura." Naruto puffed up his chest. "I have connections."
Connections turned out to be having tea with the Hokage, who surprisingly didn't seem to mind neither Naruto's orangeness nor his loud enthusiasm. He was kind and didn't treat Naruto with scorn as most adults did.
But both of them got a thorough lecture on why they shouldn't skip class just to visit him. And that the only job they should have was being students.
Professional students, a horrified Sakura mouthed behind the Hokage's back. Professional, full-time students.
Sakura ended up getting a civilian job tutoring children, because henge really was a glorious jutsu, and her boss was literally clueless. She dragged Naruto along to help her grade papers.
"Sakura-chan, are we friends?"
Sakura looked up from her shinobi history notes, but Naruto was looking away. She went to look him in the face, but he turned his head away. This continued for several minutes in which Naruto dodged Sakura, who was turning increasingly red.
"Oi, look at me, shannaro!" Sakura grabbed his blinding orange lapels and shook him for emphasis. "Yes, we are friends! Why in the world would we be not friends? We went shopping and we have a job and everything!"
"I don't know! But I'm glad! That we are friends!" Naruto choked out. With nowhere to turn his face to stop the tears, he hid it inside his jacket. "Thanks, Sakura."
Sakura patted his shoulder awkwardly. "Hey, don't thank me. Let's get some ramen, we've earned enough for it."
"Let's go!" Sakura rolled her eyes as Naruto barreled out the window.
.
A/N: Slacker Sakura is something I've had in my head for a long time.
When Sakura gets teased about her forehead, she doesn't really fight back and grows into a person who tries to please everyone. What if she were to turn out kinda like Naruto in that she forces herself not to care, and kinda like Sasuke in that she tells herself she doesn't need friends? Then, her teammates will make her realize that this type of thinking is very lonely, etc.
Anyway, please let me know what you think in the comments and whether or not this should be continued! I look forward to seeing your responses :D