The Dragon of the Leaf:
Sakura Eucliffe
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Prologue
Part I
A flash.
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A/n: Hello there! So after spending so much time in reading all those awesome Naruto crossovers, I decided to write one of my own. This plot bunny just wouldn't leave my mind so I just had to write it down, so to start off, a bit of fair warning:
There might be some minor spoilers from the FT manga, so read with caution if you're not up to date! Nothing major, just a few appearances from the newest characters.
The second thing I wanted to tell you all is that the timeline is pretty messed up considering the 7 year time skip in the far future and such, so there might be some confusions from time to time which I will try to explain.
You probably know who Sakura is related to in this story by the title. I know it would be much more logical to have Natsu and Sakura as siblings, but I really wanted to make the story majestically long. I already have this story half written in my mind and I can't really imagine Sakura as a fire user. Besides, if you look at Sakura's parents, one is blonde and the other has blue eyes, it could be quite a logical possibility! ^^
I will try to keep the characters in character, but Sakura will be OOC because of the nature of the plot. She won't be some cold hearted, cliché, all mighty, godlike character thought. I was thinking of making her a combination of her own attitude and a bit like Sting's with character development.
The prologue will be in drabbles, but I promise it's only this chapter! The next chapter will take place during the start of Naruto.
I will divide this story into two parts. One will be in the Narutoverse and the other in FT.
Rating: T for slight language, violence and gore.
Pairings: Oh Jeez. Harem for now, maybe? I already decided on the final pair thought, It's going to be a surprise~
Disclaimer: I don't really think that Kishi and Hiro would ever write on this site tbh..
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For Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was finally a peaceful day, or so he thought. Some problems still bothered the old man's mind. Like Uzumaki Naruto for example. The little brat was causing trouble again, he could feel it. Releasing the smoke from his lips, he glanced out of the window with a frown. He saw kids playing in the academy's playground. From little children, who kept clumsily tripping onto the ground, to the soon-to-graduate pre-teens that competed in self-made competitions.
All smiles and laughs, except one. The Hokage's brows furrowed further when he saw a group of kids approaching the spiky haired blonde on the swing. Sighing to himself, he took another drag from his pipe.
He always wanted to help the young prankster. Be it from the citizens or the shinobi, heck, from the children too. But alas, being the Hokage has its downfalls too. He glared menacingly at the stack of papers lying on the table, untouched. He once tried to even adopt the boy, but those blasted teammates of his wouldn't allow him. Especially Danzo. He wanted to make Naruto a weapon, that much he could tell.
But even so, he couldn't be there for Naruto 24/7.
If only Naruto had one, just one friend, things would be different. I am sure of that.
And just like a prayer to Kami, a bright flash of white light came from the clear blue sky. Hiruzen rubbed his wrinkled forehead.
He just knew there couldn't be a single normal day in this village.
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If it's one thing that Sasuke truly loved, it was piggybacks from his Nii-san. His mother found it very amusing, while his father. . . Not so much. Sasuke pouted at the thought. He knew that Itachi had made Chunnin when he was around his age already, while he was still an academy student. He had hoped that he would gain some form of admiration from his ever strict father when he learned the signature Uchiha jutsu.
But all he received was a frown of disappointment and the ever present comparison with Itachi.
He was not good enough.
He will never be good enough.
''What are you thinking about, Sasuke?'' A deep, calm voice asked the pouting boy when he noticed the unusual silence from his little brother. He never concealed his true feelings from him. He was giving him the silence treatment. Itachi sighed before grasping the little boy's legs and placed him comfortably unto his back. He heard Sasuke mumbling something under his breath and he chuckled.
It was their routine.
Every time, the elder would pick up his younger sibling from the academy, and then Sasuke would give him the cold shoulder. Itachi cursed himself for spoiling his otouto so much, but when he saw the little boy near tears, he just melts.
Sometimes, Itachi would be too busy, so he would apologise, and promise to pick him up next time.
This time was just that.
A sudden bright flash came from the sky, momentarily blinding the brothers. Sasuke squinted his eyes while Itachi slowly placed his brother on the ground. This could be an invasion, for all he knew. His point was proven right when a teenager emerge from thin air, clad in the traditional ANBU uniform.
''Itachi.'' The male greeted and Itachi nodded in return. He turned to his confused little brother and spared him a small smile. He flickered Sasuke on the forehead making the boy whine, knowing what that meant.
''Sorry, Sasuke.'' The elder spoke softly to the seething child before patting his head. ''Maybe next time.''
''You always say that!'' But the boy's protests were greeted by the wind.
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''You can't just throw a child in a cell!''
''You have no authority to make orders.''
''I agree, you can't just lock up a child, an injured one for Hokage's sake!''
''Ladies, if you could just calm down, this might even be a trap for all we know.''
''Hokage-sama! You finally came!''
Chaos. That was the only word that could describe the state of the Local Konoha Hospital. Not ten minutes earlier, a squad of elite ANBU came in, carrying a child with them.
A pink haired girl at that.
Medic-nin ran around left and right, examining the small girl that lay hospitalized on the not-so-comfy hospital bed. They predicted a few broken ribs, a broken arm and a concussion. Matters got worse when the present shinobi demanded the child thrown into a cell till further notice. The medics knew what the precautions were for.
This whole situation seemed just off.
But still, this was an injured child they were talking about.
So they reached a decision to call out the Hokage himself to solve this matter.
Once the elderly man came into the room, everyone went quiet almost immediately. The respect and authority oozing off the Hokage was enough to momentarily stop the chaos in the room. Placing his trademark pipe between his lips, he studied the girl, who couldn't be older than 7 or 8.
She wore tattered clothes, meaning she didn't have the most luxurious life in the world. A single earring dangled from her right ear that was almost ripped off. The man made a face when he saw the rest of the damage. Who would do this kind of thing to a poor defenceless child? He examined the girls face and noticed that tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Now, if this was under different circumstances, nobody would view it as weird. In a world like this, children had to fight to survive.
But this girl…
She just appeared, out of thin air.
The ANBU double checked the pink haired girl for any explosives before bringing her here, but this whole situation was fishy. Either this girl was transported here on purpose, or she did it on her own.
For her sake, the former.
''Hokage-sama…'' One of the present ANBU broke the silence. The elder man raised a wrinkled hand into the air.
''Tell me, was the girl checked for any signs of offensive weapons?'' Hiruzen asked. A man with gravity defiant silver hair stepped forward.
''Yes Hokage-sama, all clear.'' He spoke in a bored tone, like he faced with mystical pink haired girls falling out of the sky every day. The Hokage nodded and turned around to leave, not uttering any more words.
''Hokage-sama?'' A male with a long pony tailed addressed. ''What should we do with her?'' He asked curiously while glancing at the young girl who was sleeping soundlessly.
''Leave her to the healers, when she wakes up, send her to me.'' And with that, the Hokage walked out while the ANBU shared curious glances.
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In all honesty, Eucliffe Sakura was afraid of sunsets. It was a time when the bright welcoming sun set, and the moon and stars took her place. She was afraid of the dark, yes.
Don't all little kids have a silly fear like that? Usually.
So waking up in an unfamiliar place, with the last ray of sunlight sent shivers down the young girl's spine. Disoriented, she tried to recall what happened before she woke up in a strange room. She remembered her brother mentioning a place called a 'hospital' where they treat the sick. That would explain the bandages.
But what exactly caused them?
It all happened in a blur.
A minute.
A second.
The little girl scratched her cheek in a nervous habit before flinching away as pain shot through her face. She clenched the bed sheet with her small hands and whimpered as the painful memories of the day before rushed through her mind.
The year was X777
07-07
And on this day, which was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life,
Everything changed.
A hoarse screech echoed though the half empty hospital walls, before everything went black.
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The next time Sakura awoke, it was already past sunrise. She tried to move her hands, but her whole body was numb. She doubted if she could move her toes normally.
What happened? Oh.
That's right.
Silent sobs sounded through the infirmary as Sakura wiped her cheeks with the palm of her uninjured hand. She felt numb, inside out. Never had she experienced such a negative feeling before, it was surreal. All she wanted now was to go home.
To her family. Her home.
But now, she doubted that will happen ever again.
She lost everything, in a flash.
She felt the lump in her throat becoming unbearable again and just as she was about to fall into another depressed state, a 'poof' went through the room. She gasped silently as her eyes widened until her eyelids felt sore. She slowly backed away, hitting the bedframe.
Hatake Kakashi observed the young girl while tilting his head to the side. Clearly, the emerald eyed girl was in an emotional state judging from the puffy eyes and dried tear marks. Raising his hand up, he gave a slight wave.
''Yo''
'Thump'
The copy-nin blinked slowly as he glanced down at the hard hospital pillow sprawled over the floor. Looking up, he noticed the little girl grabbing another pillow, all the while ignoring the burning pain in her muscles.
''Where's my aniki? Where's daddy?'' She screamed at him before aiming another pillow at his face. Kakashi easily sidestepped before sighing. He had no experience with over emotional children so he did the next best thing that popped into his mind.
Flashing a few hand signs, he noticed her emerald orbs glaze over. He shook his head lightly, before jumping onto the window still. The genjutsu will wear off by the time he alerted the Hokage that their little visitor was now awake.
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''You said your name was Eucliffe Sakura, am I correct?'' The old man behind the desk had to make sure. He glanced at the lifeless shell of a girl, who nodded her head weakly. On both her sides, ANBU stood bearing their full uniformed glory, which seemed to make the pinkette more uncomfortable than she already is. Waving his hand lightly, the two men disappeared in a puff of smoke making the little girl jump in wonder.
It's as if she had never seen shinobi before.
''Where are you from?'' He started with a basic question. The girl scratched her ear before her eyes lit up.
''Fiore!'' She exclaimed in a seemingly happy voice. The Hokage blinked slowly, slightly confused at the little one's burst of happiness.
She must really miss her home.
Too bad Sarutobi hasn't heard about this place she spoke of in his whole life.
''Are you sure?'' He asked, voice laced with uncertainty. The pinkette bobbed her head shyly, but happily.
''Yeah! That place is wonderful Oji-san! It has dragons and magic and wizards and magic and dragons- oh! And guilds!'' The tiny girl proclaimed happily. Hiruzen tilted his head to the side. Well that information was certainly useful.
''Sakura-chan, are you certain?'' He asked once again.
But she nodded her head firmly.
Either this child was as delusional as any other 8 year old, or the enemy brainwashed her to make her believe otherwise. Knitting his fingers together, he signalled for the guarding shinobi to bring in the man behind his office door.
A man with long dirty blonde hair entered before bowing in respect to his Leader. Sakura watched on in wonder. Was this old man really that special?
''Hokage-sama.'' He greeted. ''You asked for my presence?'' He asked in slight coriousity.
''Ah Inoichi!'' The Hokage acknowledged before gesturing to the empty seat next to Sakura. The Yamanaka head spared the little girl a warm smile before shifting his gaze to Hiruzen. He knew exactly why he was here at that moment.
Sakura looked between the two men and bit her bottom lip; she hoped she could go home soon. These strangers might help her return, even though her aniki thought her not to speak with strangers. Suddenly a hand patted her head and she jumped slightly, startled. Looking up with emerald slitted eyes, she noticed that the old man has stood up and was now standing behind her.
Patting her head, that was enough of a signal for the Yamanaka to know what to do.
Standing up also, Inoichi extended his hand for her to shake which she grasped hesitantly.
''My name is Yamanaka Inoichi, Captain of the Intelligence Division.'' He introduced himself, all the while noticing the confused glint in her eyes. ''Eucliffe Sakura.'' She said back in a tiny voice
''Do you want to go home?'' He asked softly as Sakura shifted her gaze to meet his eyes before nodding her head with a bright smile on her face.
''Then let me help you okay?'' It took her a minute to agree to the offer, before Inoichi placed his hand onto her head. Sarutobi stepped behind the tall blonde male, placing his pipe in-between his lips. Sakura's face transformed into a grimace as the smoke got into her over sensitive nose. She sneezed lightly, before a soothing feeling spread though her head in a relaxing matter. She let out a tiny breath before letting her body slip into momentary sleep.
''What next, Hokage-sama?'' Inoichi questioned.
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The green scenery could really be mistaken as the thick forest surrounding the Fire Country. Walking down a narrow path, Inoichi send out chakra pulses, looking for the little pink haired girl. Strangely, he couldn't feel any sign of chakra signals around him. Frowning, he stepped into a clearing before smiling slightly at the sight.
It was obviously the pinkette, and judging by her clothing, this happened in the near past. She was plucking various flowers untastefully, making the blonde frown. Owning a flower shop really was getting to him. Suddenly, a flash of light blonde tackled the little girl onto the carpet of various flowers. All he was able to do was watch and listen as the little girl squealed in surprise.
''-Sting-nii-san!'' Was the first thing he heard as he came closer to the pair.
Pair of siblings it would seem.
The little boy who was maybe around 10 gave her a toothy grin and Inoichi could finally see the resemblance between the two, as Sakura gave a matching smile of her own.
''Now Saku-chan~ be patient and you'll get your present soon~'' The boy teased his sister as Sakura pouted at him. He chuckled before placing his palm over her emerald eyes. Sakura covered her eyes with her own small hands before rocking on the balls of her feet. Suddenly she yelped when she felt a light nib on her earlobe. Shooting her eyes open, she saw her brother grinning down at her, an earring missing from his right ear. Sakura felt the injured place with her fingertips gingerly, before crying out in joy.
''Thank you, thank you, thank you!'' She wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, receiving a pat on her head. Drawing back, she looked up at her brother. ''But.. These are the earrings daddy gave you, are you sure it's okay for me to..'' She trailed off as she looked down guilty. Sting gave her an amused look before pinching her cheek, receiving a whine.
''Well if we don't return soon, he'll surely be mad.'' Sting stated before releasing his younger sister from his grip. ''Race ya.'' He challenged before pinching the bridge of her nose. Sakura gasped, before stumbling to catch up to the sprinting blonde.
''No fair! You cheated!''
''You're just slow!'' He called back before laughing loudly, not slowing down even once. ''Happy Birthday Sakura-chan!''
And the scene changed right before the Yamanaka's eyes.
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The beautiful green shades changed into an angry red color as the sun set.
As the orange sky painted a lovely purple, a pained roar echoed though the once peaceful valley. Inoichi was startled at first, as he floated above yet another clearing, which he regretted almost immediately. A white creature spread its huge scaled wings, knocking down the surrounding trees in the process.
The blonde was tempted to release his mind reading jutsu then and there.
It looked like one of those ancient sketches of the creatures called 'dragons' - the ones who rivaled even the tailed beasts in power and monstrosity. As far as the legend goes, he supposed. Cold sweat went through his body. Its long white tail swiped straight thought his projection, and he momentarily forgot how to breathe.
Turning around, he realized that the white beast was at a dying point when it fell lifelessly onto the ground, causing a small earthquake. Scanning his body, he tried to pin point the location where it was injured. He noticed a silhouette of a man by the tail, but paid no mind when he saw a flash of blonde.
Levitating to the ground, he gasped when he saw the little boy from before lying motionless on the cold forest floor. His heart clenched when he saw the little pink haired girl clenching the boy's shirt in hopes that he wakes up.
He remained quiet as he let the scene sink in, before he heard soft footsteps behind him. Looking back, he saw the same silhouette from before emerging behind the giant corpse of the beast. The man had majestically long pitch black hair that was slightly curled on a few places. He held an ancient looking book as he stalked towards the Eucliffe siblings.
Strangely, he looked straight at Inoichi before stomping the last steps.
''And you two pathetic brats call yourselves dragon slayers?'' He questioned in a calm tone. Even though his face held a stoic look, you could practically hear the sneer in his voice. Kneeling down, he brushed his fingertips onto the girl's cheek, earning a shriek as the blood of her father made contact with her skin.
Grasping her chin harshly, he forcefully made eye contact with Sakura, who gave him a tearful glare. A cruel smirk crossed his face and the Yamanaka Head wished he could do something physical in his current state.
But alas he couldn't.
''This, right here, is what earns you the title of a true dragon slayer.'' He continued to paint her cheek with the blood of the dragon, and all Sakura could do was quiver in paralyzing fear.
''Please.'' She whimpered helplessly as the man aimed a punch straight to her chest. The little girl tried to block the strike, but she could only release a harsh yelp as she felt the bones in her arm break and split. Standing up to his full height, he aimed another unmerciful kick at the blonde's head. Surely that would be the finishing blow to the poor boy.
Time seemed to stand still as the evil man lifted up his foot.
Is this the end?
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''NO!'' Was the final thing he heard before a bright flash surrounded everything, seemingly hitting the girl before everything went black.
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Hiruzen gazed at the two other people occupying the room. Whatever was happening in the little girl's head was not good. Even he could tell. If the occasional groans and yelps were any indication, then he didn't know what was. Rubbing his wrinkled forehead, he looked at the clock.
Almost 3 hours have already past.
He was starting to think they will never wake up at this point-
He spoke too soon.
As quick as lighting, the two jumped back from each other in a sweaty heap. The girl looked unaffected, probably because she had a hard time remembering while Inoichi-
''Hokage-sama, can we talk?''
He knew this would be a long day.
