Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


One year before the onset of the Fourth Shinobi war…

The 15 year old pink-haired kunoichi crept silently towards the door leading to her house. There was something wrong, she could feel it in the night air. The moonlight in the sky is not one that induces serenity tonight, no, instead it is disturbing. Sinister. This feeling of doom, she remembered, started a couple of hours ago while she was at her office filing some medical documents.

She did not know what it was but something just made her insides freeze, the hair on her arms and neck stood up making her shiver uncontrollably. Suddenly, a glinting object at her peripheral made her glance at the side. She saw a picture of her taken a couple months back, proudly clinging to a certificate that solidifies her position and vocation as a medic of Konohagakure. Beside her were her parents, Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno, who were undoubtedly proud of their daughter as proven by their sparkling eyes and straightened backs. The Haruno family is just an average family some might say. They are not as famous and well-known unlike that of the Hyuuga's, Akamichi's, Nara's and the other prominent clans in the village. Nonetheless, that does not bother them even one bit for all they care about is that they are happy and that they are safe. Because for Sakura, even if Kizashi continues his nonsensical and oh so corny jokes and Mebuki nagsnagsnags for all she wants, as long as they are together she is content. Every time she gazes at this particular picture of her and her family, it brings a whimsical smile on her face. But now as she looks at it, that horrible ice cold feeling intensifies. She was panicking slightly now. She couldn't sit still. She wants to immediately go home and assure herself that nothing is wrong, that her mom and dad were still there. That they are alright. Shinobis are taught to always listen to one's gut instinct for it can save their lives. And her gut instinct is telling her now that her parents are in danger. And so with that thought, she opened her office window and leapt towards the nearest building. Taking to the roof as it is the fastest way home.

Sakura snaps herself back to the present . Focus! she berates herself. The sincerity of the situation is not lost on her. She knows that when she first sensed the trouble she should have gone first to the others for back-up but this sense of urgency she is feeling does not permit her to waste more time. She must act now! She holds her breath and listens for any noises that may come from inside. It's quiet. Too quite. My parents should have been home by now preparing for bed. There is no light turned on as well which is unusual for her mother always leaves the kitchen lights on every night. Something is definitely amiss. She approaches the door and took hold of the knob. As silently as she could she turned it and pushed the door open gently. She stopped on the threshold for a moment, checking to see if anything will jump her, may it be traps or the intruder. None. And so she pushed onwards with knees slightly bent, a kunai gripped hard by her right hand, left hand raised in front of her in a defensive position. Nothing seemed out of order. All the furniture were where they were before. No glasses or trinkets broken. Everything was in place as they used to be. But then, a small gasp left her mouth as she smelled it. The smell that is as familiar to her as her own hand, the smell that pervades her senses whenever she is at the operating room, hands inches deep within someone elses body, stitching muscles and veins together. This….this is…the unmistakable scent of blood…lots of it….

All sense of stealth she may have had before she loses now as she races up the stairs and follows the smell where it is at its strongest. She looks around; there at her parents' bedroom! She rushes towards the door and slams it open only to see a gruesome sight that would forever be etched in her mind. Blood splattered everywhere, painting the originally light yellow walls red. Furniture broken, indicating that there was struggling that occurred. Floors filled with puddles of blood. And there, lying in those same puddles where her parents. Mebuki, with her once chestnut hair dyed red and stiff with dried blood, and Kizashi with his always grinning face set into a grimace. Their non moving forms were huddled together as if even the threat of death could not pull them apart. Sakura let out an anguished cry and her legs no longer able to hold her weight, sent her crashing down to her knees. But that did not deter her medic mode from appearing for she crawled towards where her parents lay and with her hands glowing green, assessed their condition. One hand on each of her parents' chest she tried to heal them with her Mystical Palm Technique. But it was too late for her father. He had no pulse, he wasn't breathing, no signs of life anymore. Her grief threatened to pull her apart but she took a hold of her strength and kept herself from breaking. Keep it together! This is not the time to cry. Not yet. Mom's still has a chance. For Godsakes concentrate!

Mebuki is hanging on to life by a thread. She herself knows this and has already accepted that death is inevitable. But before she succumbs to the darkness, there is something that she has yet to tell her daughter. As she weakly opens her eyes, the first thing she saw was her husband who has already gone ahead of her to the Land of the Dead. He fought valiantly, trying to protect her with all his might even though they both knew that he was fighting a losing battle. Her dear husband who is loving and caring and all that she has ever wanted her partner in life to be. Wait for me my love, I will be with you soon. And when she turned her head, she saw her beautiful daughter with the utmost focused expression on her face. She needed to tell her something before she passes on.

" Sakura" she calls weakly. "honey…. stop … it…. already" she tried to still her daughter's arm signaling for her to stop healing her for it is useless. Sakura swats her mother's hand away " No! I can still heal you, you can still live!" Mebuki tries to take hold of her hand again and this time succeeds on grasping it. "Sakura, stop….. Sakura, honey..." she was interrupted when coughs racked her body causing blood to spittle on the side of her mouth. Sakura looks at her with an anguished expression on her face and it breaks her heart that her daughter should have to experience this much pain. Oh Kami, please guide my daughter. She wanted to cry not because she is dying but because her daughter is hurting. Sakura still continues to heal without heeding her mother's words. "Sakura…. listen ….to me, listen! I don't ….have much time left…. honey. I'm sorry…. so so sorry….. that we….. can't be with you anymore ….but there is something you must know….". She hands over to Sakura a key looped around a necklace. Sakura idly remembered that this necklace was always worn by her mother. Never has she seen her mother without it. She vaguely remembered asking her mom once when she was about 6 years old what the key looped around the necklace is for. What treasure is it locking away? Her curious child's mind would always wonder. And when she did voice this question her mom would always give her the same answer: " When you are old enough and when the time is right then I will tell you". And since she was then but a child she would just shrug it off and proceed to playing with her dolls. But now that question is once again resurfacing in her mind. " Mom?" "Sakura….open…. the chest…it is buried under the place… where we used to gaze ….at the stars… it is where …you will find the…. answers" Mebuki began coughing harshly again, spraying an alarming amount of blood on her chest and on the floorboards. "Mom! Take a hold of yourself Mom!" Sakura is crying profusely now. She cannot take it. Oh Kami! at least spare one of them, at least leave my mother for me. But it seems that Kami is deaf to her pleas for her mother's breath is now coming in weak rattling rasps. " Who did this to you, mom?" she whispered in a broken voice. "It is all…. in the chest ...Sakura….find it. …We love you …so so much.. never ….forget that…. no matter...what you….. may find out …..we…..have ….always…. and ….will al-always …lo- love ….yo- you" a tear slipped down her mother's face as she uttered her last words. " Mom?! Mom?! Wake up please!" tears were running profusely down her face now. Sakura couldn't take it: her head was pounding, her stomach was lurching and it is as if her heart has been broken into a million tiny pieces lodging to all parts of her body causing this unbearable ache that she can't take. She clutched her mom's and her dad's hand to her chest. Sobs racked her body and she was shaking uncontrollably. She wants to believe that this is just a dream that she would wake up from it in the morning. None of this is real. All will be back to normal if she just wishes hard enough. Please let this be just a dream pleasepleasepleaseplease let this be just a dream. And this was how she was discovered by Ino hours later: there sprawled on the floor, clothes soaked with her parents' blood, repeating the same mantra out loud over and over again while never letting go of her parents' hands at all.


please tell me what you think of this story.. all reviews are appreciated!