Author's Note: It's been about 3 years since I've last posted anything on this site, which I feel so bad about because it was my goal to have at least two completed 100k+ story published by now. But a lot has happened! During that time I was a full time student and working full time as well, which left me with little to no free time. But I'm glad to say that I recently just graduated from college with a degree in Interactive Media and Studio Art. Yay!

The only downside is that I spent about 3 months afterwards trying to figure out what the hell to do next with my life. In the end, I ended up moving halfway across the country (to be closer to family) and found my dream job that allows me equally enough time to spend on my recreational activities–like this–and my art.

But enough about me, let's get on with the story!


Summary: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one woman in her time plays many parts, Her acts being seven ages."

Born into a world that she recognizes but doesn't at the same time, Sakura must make sense of who she is and what she is suppose to do. Held down by strong beliefs of loyalty and honor, she must find a place for her in the shinobi world, especially since she has a larger responsibility than she could ever believe. (AU, BAMF Sakura, Pre-Uchiha Massacre)


Chapter 1

Sakura was never an ordinary child, that was even noted on the day of her birth. It was evident the moment that she was born when she didn't cry like a normal baby. Instead she stared at the two, almost assessing them. She had the eyes that seemed to look through you as if calculating your worth.

"She has eyes of my mother", the male Haruno remarked holding the baby girl in his arms. And the woman knew that he was referring to more than just the color of them. "I was just hoping that she wouldn't inherit your silly pink hair Kazashi", the woman said jokingly.

"Mah, you're so mean to me Mebuki, I think the pink makes her look even cuter!" He faked cried.

Mebuki's eyes softened. "You're right, the pink hair makes her look like a little hime… Our hime." She held the bundle closer to her chest.

"Our little Sakura-hime", Kazashi said laying closer to his wife.


Sakura's oddness was apparent, when at the age of 6 months, she learned to walk. It was a feat that took both parents by surprise when she stumbled her way to their worn bookshelf in the living room. Of course any parent would be happy about this development. However, this worried them as they realized that this was the first of many things that would mark Sakura as different, especially since she had yet to utter a single word by the time of her first birthday.

At the age of 2, Sakura experience her first night terror. It was only by pure coincidence that Mebuki was there to witness it. Sakura was never a vocal child, so when Mebuki walked past her room only to hear a strangled scream inside of it, she was alarmed. She burst into the room expecting to see someone harming her daughter, however she was only met with the sight of her daughter fighting and clawing at the covers, her eyes tightly clinched. Her bed was soaked with sweat and tears. Her forehead was burning. She could only hold her daughter, trying to comfort her in her fevered state. The next day the fever cleared, and she asked Sakura about her nightmare. Sakura told them that she couldn't remember, even the concerning questioning of her father couldn't bring her to tell them about her dream.

The dreams continued and by 3, Sakura could only recall flashes. She could see a village on fire, people fighting–many dying. Most of all she could distinctly remember the moon stained so red that it glowed, and a woman emerging from it with long white hair, ringed eyes and horns, and a laugh that brought shivers up her spine.

Also at the age of 3, Sakura still refused to utter full sentences, only a few phrases here and there. Sakura's father, who was home on an extended break from work, recommended taking her to a professional to get help. However, Sakura's mom refused. She instead made it her mission to get Sakura to talk. Normally Sakura could get away with pointing to what she wanted, but her mom would make her voice out her wants. She would also make Sakura read throughout the day–outloud. Most of the time her voice came out in scratchy whispers, which pained Mebuki. But she knew that this therapy would be the best. Soon she could see and hear the difference of her normally uninterested child. She seemed to talk more stronger and fluently. She also read things more advanced, taking up reading as an enjoyable hobby.

At the age of 4, Sakura's parents deemed her mature enough to start helping them around the house and with their businesses. Sakura's father was a businessman who often either brought his work home (to his office in the back of their home) or traveled out of the city. What type of business he dealt with wasn't something that she completely knew, but she did know that he dealt with high quality silks and antiques–at least that was some of the items that was stored in his office, which he locked away.

Sakura's mother was a little different. She owned a local teahouse that was quite popular. However, since Sakura's birth, she wasn't as involved as she would have normally been, choosing only to go to the restaurant for occasional check ups or emergencies.

Both decided that she was old enough to include her in the "family business". So when Sakura's father was away at work, Sakura spent majority of her time with her mother helping out at the restaurant. Since she was a child she was only tasked with doing simple things like replacing tea cups or fluffing the pillows on the zaisu chairs. During down times, her mother would teach her traditional etiquette. Other times, the staff–who really liked Sakura–would teach her things to know about tea ceremonies.

The one who mainly taken a liking to her was a sixteen year old server named Emiko who always gave her candy and books. The books would mostly be fiction in nature, but they always featured a strong female lead character going on adventures and fighting the bad guys. The ones that she preferred were about the samurai. She loved the level of honor and the telling of the sword. She asked Emiko about her interest in samurai and she confessed that if she was born in another time. She may have been a samurai regardless of the gender roles.

Sakura saddened by the news told her that she would become a samurai for both of them. "That would be nice, Sakura-chan, but the age of samurai is over. Now it is the age of shinobi–and it is much more dangerous."

"Why is that?" Sakura asked.

"Because a shinobi, by nature isn't honorable. It's about deceit and deception–doing whatever you can to complete the mission. Even at the cost of unnecessary bloodshed." Emiko's eyes widened after realizing what she just told Sakura. Half expecting the girl to be in tears, she looked at Sakura preparing to apologize for being so cynical. However, she wasn't prepared for the strange and determined glint in the young girl's eyes.

"Then I will bring back the age of the samurai. I will bring back honor… Even if I have to become a shinobi to do so, I will change these societal views."

Emiko was so stunned about what she just said that she could only give Sakura her best, and most honest, smile.

"I'm sure you will Sakura-chan."

No sooner after that Sakura expressed her interest in the shinobi arts to her parents. It first started off with asking about chakra after she discovered an old ninja scroll that they forgot to put away. They wanted to say that they were surprised at the interest, but they weren't. One of Sakura's oddness was her early love of learning new things, she would often be seen reading history books. So when she asked them about chakra, they didn't see any real harm at explaining it to her.

However, despite Sakura's maturity, she didn't like going outside. Really, she didn't like socializing with anyone her own age. That was something they learned when she told them after trying to make her play with the neighborhood civilian children.

"They're stupid", she would say. "They laugh at me because of my hair and eyes." Even though they tried to inform her that not everyone was like that, she still refused to go play like a normal child. Instead she prefer staying indoors reading her books or being at the teahouse, even without her mother. If not, she would often be found in her mother's garden helping her take care of the plants and herbs.

"You don't want to go play with other children at the park, it would be a lot more fun than this", they would ask her. "I could, but prefer not to", she would quietly say, and they would leave it at that.

At age 5, Sakura could read at an unbelievable level. It was actually quite an amusing sight to see a little 5 year old reading books like "The Benefits and Healing Abilities of Plant Medicine". She managed to find all of their theory books and even some books about meditation and the human anatomy. She read them all with an understanding that should have never been seen in a child. Of course she would ask one of her parents, or even Emiko, about a subject she didn't quite understand. Soon she became their little library of knowledge and with every trip to the library that they would make, she would be there.

One day at the bookstore though, she saw an orange book titled, "Tales of a Gutsy Ninja." It was worn and small. It wasn't something that she would normally read, but for some reason she felt drawn to it. So she bought it, not even bothering to get a glimpse of what it was about.

When she should the book to her parents, they immediately snatched the book out of her hand with an offended look. But upon closer examination realized that they overreacted.

"Sorry Musume", her father said.

"We mistook it for something else." And then they gave it back.

That night Sakura started reading the book, and after the first page, she was hooked. So much so that by the time she finished it, the first sunlight of dawn was breaching through her curtains. Then she read it again.

The story followed a ninja by the name of Naruto, one of the reasons why she was was interested in reading more–for a reason unknown to even her. It told of his sunny attitude and his ability to make even an enemy a valued friend.

Most importantly, it told of his battles. The description of the fights bringing up memories of her own dreams. She wondered if the author imagined it being as bloody or terrifying. She wondered if he imagined monsters appearing in the middle of the battlefield–of celestial beings coming down and bringing hell. But throughout it all, the main character faced it with determination– fearlessly protecting his comrades.

The ending was so bittersweet, that it brought tears to her eyes–leaving her feeling frustrated, disappointed, but hopeful. For what, she didn't know. And so she read the book two more times, before she was able to divert her attention to something else.

"I can't believe that we thought it was one of those Icha Icha books", her mother said jokingly one day after her father remarked on how much Sakura seemed to like the book. Although, they weren't whispering amongst themselves, it still was a shock that Sakura chose to respond.

"I've heard that they are actually fairly good if you don't think to much about the plot. Some of the scenes are relatable, although the kunoichi's are often described a little too one dimensional for my taste", Sakura said absentmindedly. Her mother looked at her aghast, her father gaping at her like a fish.

"So… You've read those book", her mom asked slowly. "No", Sakura said as a matter of factly.

"Then how do you know so much about the series?" Her mother demanded. "Ohhhh, my precious hime has been tainted!" Her father could be seen–and heard–crying in the background.

"I heard it from a scarecrow", Sakura replied cryptically looking back at her book. Safe to say that they started monitoring her reading habits a little closer.

Despite that, her interests were targeted towards shinobi related materials. It was also the time when she decided to tell her parents that she wanted to go to the shinobi academy. Of course her mother was saddened and even hurt by the news. Her father was little less surprised since he knew that this was bound to happen, but he looked almost defeated.

That spring they signed Sakura up to test into the academy with selfish wishes that she wouldn't pass.

However, their prayers came unanswered when a week after they allowed her to take the test, the results were sent to their house. Sakura was the one to receive it, holding the the large white envelope in her hand. She was nervous, they could tell. Their daughter wasn't as emotional as most kids her age, but there was a rare moment of a genuine smile when Sakura opened the package and saw the results.

"Congratulations" was written in bold letters.


Since receiving the letter for the academy, Sakura had been studying all she could to prepare herself for the upcoming year. Since she wasn't cleared yet to check out any academy material, she was stuck reading general book material.

On a particularly warm day Sakura woke up to the sound of her father's voice arguing with another voice that wasn't soothing like her mother's. She couldn't quite hear what was said, but she could hear worry and anger in their voices that put her on edge. So she quietly snuck out armed with a few dulled kunai that she was allowed to use for practice.

She was able to follow their voices to the bottom of the stairs and so she waited at the top of the stairs for any indication that they were in danger. But it didn't seem that way.

"You lot are so annoying, and you don't understand the concept of no. I won't allow her to be used as a tool."

"That's funny especially since she will be just that by a village built on lies." A scratchy voice answered.

"That's different because she has chosen that life, not the other way around." Her father said annoyed and tired.

"If that's really what you believe. I'm not here to argue with you something that you already know the truth, but we will continue this conversation later, it seems as though these walls have ears." At that Sakura tried to sneak back into her room, but she knew that she was already caught when her father called her name. So she turned back around towards the stairs.

As she walked down the stairs and saw her father, Sakura couldn't find any evidence of the person who her father was arguing with much to her displeasure.

Sakura locked eyes with her father in question. "Tou-san, who were you talking to."

Her father looked away as if lost in memory. "An old friend", he said, and before she could ask him any more questions he interrupted her.

"Why don't we go get some ice cream?" Sakura, taking note of his troubled face, decided to drop the subject for now. "Sure, tou-san", and she turned around to go upstairs to change out of her pajamas.

"Sakura", he suddenly said getting her attention. His eyes softened taking in her hunched form. "You have nothing to worry about?"

He gave her a slight smile and ruffled her hair. "But thanks for worrying hime", he finished.

Sakura's heart warmed at the added affection and in turn she gave her father a reassuring smile.


Author's Note: I've had this story in my head for a long time, but didn't know if I should post it or not, after all I have like five incomplete stories as it is. But I decided what better time to motivate me to write more than now, especially for nanowrimo. So here's my fanowrimo entry!

PS: I plan on uploading every other day with at least 2,500-4,000 words. I possibly won't finish this before November is over with, but I hope to have at least 60k written by then. That being said, PLEASE motivate me to write more, even if it is just commenting on what you think should happen. Reviews are like cake! I crave them!

Word count: 2,510

Total word count: 2,510

Targeted total word count: 150,000