A Crack in The Clouds

by T0mato-chan

After losing many lives while fighting off Kurama, Konoha and its citizens ended up not getting back up on their feet. Thirteen years later, strange activity started surfacing. They weren't active in foriegn affairs like they used to be, nor answered allies invitations to pass through their borders. What's happening to that village? Sakura would like to know, even if it kills her.

Disclaimer/shout out: Without Kishimoto's involvement in both the Naruto/Shippuuden ongoing series, my own story wouldn't come into existence!

Thanks for giving me an invisible nudge to try out this fandom.

-o0o0o0o-

I guess everybody already knows about that story involving some crazed creature with nine tails invading Konoha..huh? Like most wars and natural disasters, the aftermath left behind many orphans who must grow up feeling so much pain, till it rots their internal insides. But how exactly does this have anything to do with me?

Well... You see, my family has ties to such an incident. It's been tough supporting ourselves. We're kinda broken now, since I don't really have a father anymore...

Sometimes whenever I feel sad, mother always went, 'Don't worry your silly little head off! He's living in a very special place now.'

But as I grew older, I'm finding it hard to believe if this the truth or not. Cuz in the back of my mind, a little voice insists that he's still out there: Living somewhere far away, hopefully not rotting like decaying potatoes fastened in some gritty casket buried beneath the earth.

I want to learn the truth.

Every single detail, even if it kills me.

A Crack in The Clouds

By T0mato-chan

I. Stepping Stones

At the age of thirteen, Haruno Sakura always viewed her life to be very average. She lived in a cozy home, brought up by loving parents who cherished their daughter like a prized jewel. While they always showered her with gifts and affection like any other first born desired, the girl secretly longed for something else: to become a Kunoichi.

It wasn't deemed out of the ordinary whenever a child someday screams out to their parents, that they would like to emulate whatever occupation that comes to mind. Luckily by one single statement, their sudden outburst can alter the very path set by older generations. Everyone knew this concept. Ever Sakura herself. Truth be told, she noticed there wasn't much to do in Konoha.

Both men and women were given two options for guaranteed survival: Either became a laborer scrounging around for cash on a daily basis, or gamble their life away, at the possibility of getting stabbed in the torso by extremely sharp objects. According to old traveling tales recalled by her father, it was pretty clear that the same situation existed in other countries.

While Sakura appeared oblivious to these specific roles as a child, nobody forced either role on her developing mind. But as her life progressed, the pinkette secretly planned on walking down a path littered with scrolls and scattered shiruken.

Only because, the idea of working alongside her mother sounded completely weird. Any supportive daughter who bothered to hear her reason over a cup of tea and biscuits, would brand the adjectives 'Childish coward' in bold letters on her broad shiny forehead. But regardless of the futuristic goals in life, someone understanding would support her decision.

So the month right after Sakura turned eight, Mebuki Haruno enrolled her in the local academy. At first everything went smoothly, until the requirements in order to reach upper levels became out of reach. She found it frustrating to keep up with daily lessons. Most children easily outscored her in other activities. Rather than failing on on the spot, teachers would take pity and pass her.

Their feelings over the situation weren't kept a secret. At every parent teacher conference meetings, Sakura's sluggish development became a daily topic. Like other guardians who joined, Mebuki stays informed on every detail. Deep down inside she knew her daughter wasn't trying hard enough. But due to wanting Sakura to live her own life, said mother couldn't do much... besides asking if she would like to drop out early.

It was a simple question, which the girl easily declines. Not all of the classes were impossible though. Most discussions scheduled in each lesson plan were about chakra, while others involved throwing knives. Besides those courses, learning about history and the rules of being a ninja interested her the most. Unfortunately, while becoming fascinated with acquiring knowledge through reading, it brought along some severe consequences.

Select members of her age group often called her, 'The book worm.' This name became frequently used, along with low level insults such as forehead. Sakura didn't take too kindly to such phrases, which resulted in becoming friends with a blond girl named Ino. At such times like these, she always told her peer that there's a lot more uglier words someone can call you.

But lurking deep down in Sakura's gut, was pain and suffering. She came to a conclusion that people who were picked on the most grew up weak minded. These exact thoughts sickened her to the brink of anger. So as of now, she plans on someday shocking everyone, or at least try to show them whose boss... except in her own unique style. It shall be dubbed: The Haruno Sakura way! Such a phrase when repeated sounded cheesy in her head, but it could work... Anything is possible, long as you give it your all.

Unfortunately, there's not much time left to act. In the next four days, everyone's going to be taking a test, which will determine if they were actually paying attention in school. Typically around this time of year, most students would be resting up before the big day. Sakura however, had something else in mind.

Instead of being indoors, said female was outside training alone in the backyard. She sat nestled beneath the shade of a maple tree, feeling awfully stiff from staying still all afternoon. The never ending supply of prickly pieces labeled as grass sways lightly against her ankle.

"...Stupid weeds! Quit wrecking my meditation!"

Signing in defeat, she gave up trying any further. The tired girl throws her self back, leaning uncomfortably against the bark of a tree. It's roughness made it difficult to relax. She wiggled around like a worm, searching for some type of sweet spot. After a while, Sakura realized that this wasn't her bed. It's just some tree with scattered mossy patches on the outside.

Pushing her lips together, a tiny pout blossoms. Forgetting what she was doing earlier, Sakura tilts her head upwards. The brightness from above caused said girl to narrow her eyes. Judging by the hue of the sun, its probably early afternoon. Right now, her mother would be working inside the kitchen. During the weekends it was Mebuki's only opportunity to cook. After all, she runs both a shop and goes on missions once in a while.

All of a sudden, the pinkette's mood worsens. '...I don't know why I made some silly decision about not wanting to be like my mother. She practically does it all now.'

While she lingered in deep thought, a gurgling sound strikes out of nowhere! Sakura leans forward, groaning horribly from sudden hunger. She knew that aborting the training in search for food wasn't on the memo. So like any other sound, she simply ignored it. The evil being known as 'stomach' wasn't taking a 'No' for an answer. It continued making that wrenched noise, hoping to knock some sense into her.

"Shut up please..I'm trying to work." she said between each syllable, sweat pouring out her temples.

She couldn't go in just yet. Not until practice is finished.

A plan suddenly implants itself, growing slowly as other ideas molded together. 'Maybe I can distract myself..'

Sakura closed her eyes, while clasping both arms over her head in silence. If anyone to pass her by, they would simply assume that the pinkette was mediating. Well, it kinda appears that way. The only difference is that she's upside down! Partially losing her balance, Sakura wiggled around. 'Shit! I'm gonna fall and then crack my head on the floor. What to do, what to do...'

While she struggled, a shadow loomed overhead. "Coming inside yet? You've been outside since six in the morning."

"In a sec..." she managed to say, finishing off with a grunt in pain. "I-is that...ice pack still in the freezer?"

The woman's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yes, but why are you asking me about it?"

Before answering the question, Sakura flopped over face first. Mrs. Haruno watched as her daughter lays still on a patch of grass. Taking a few steps forward, said woman bends over to pick the teen up. Placing the girl over her back, Mebuki starts off with heading down a path of stepping stones. She chose to walk slow, hoping that the speed wouldn't make things worse.

Her ears listened closely to soft breathing. Thank god, Sakura's coming around!

"...Mom, where are you taking me?"

"Where else? We're going right back in inside. If you really wanted an out of control routine, should have asked me to help!"

Realization hit the pinkette like a stack of bricks. Actually, she does have a point.

Sakura batted her eye lashes in surprise, not sure whether to respond or not. Instead she opted out by wrapping her arms around Mebuki's torso as they slowly approached the back patio.

o0o0o0o

After sitting near the window for only five minutes, Sakura started freaking out. Right after losing her marbles, the girl quietly came up with some type of hypothesis behind such behavior: Perhaps her mental stability extremely sucks when attempting to stay inanimate for certain periods of time. But due to getting sent inside earlier before, what lurks outside isn't making the situation any easier to cope with.

An illusion of a perfect spring day made it impossible to pass up on. Either way, she obviously wanted out. There wasn't any other credible excuse for Sakura to stay hidden any longer. However, when it came to a certain mother's intuition...that's a whole different story. Whether coming from a ninja background or not, Mebuki still placed the girl on lock down. Surprisingly, her rein over said daughter's life didn't stop there.

Wherever Sakura walked in the house, said person would follow carefully behind. This ongoing action drove her completely insane. Any previous amount of privacy earned during the trials of growing up seemed lost. It became obvious that her dear old mother didn't like what happened earlier. Just like a paranoid mother hen, she plans on keeping her only chick in the hen house.

'I'd rather go back out and get eaten by a fox. That would show her...'

On second thought, there is one spot Mebuki wouldn't dare to enter without any permission. The only place where Sakura can have a moment of silence seems right in the rest room. Said girl heads out of the room and into the halls. After taking a few steps, she blurts out a curse word as her feet made noise. The floor boards stacked below didn't make it any easy to sneak around.

Foot steps headed straight for the bathroom. Alarmed by her haunting movements, Sakura hid her body further away behind the curtains. The coolness below the soles of her feet were becoming sweaty. So wa Sakura's face. It didn't take long before the woman figured out the fact that she wasn't going 'potty.'

a voice from beyond the door slipped through, "Are you meditating on the toilet again? germs still linger even when it's not in use."

Upon hearing her mother's thoughtful words, the girl's cheeks immediately puffs up like when a squirrel saving an acorn for later. She certaintly wanted to scream. if a fume of air traveled out of her nostrils.. the damn woman would find out! For a while there's a short silence, until the sound sound of a key twisting around in the lock turned everything upside down.

Sakura's pupils greedily scanned each part of the room for an escape route, '... Aha! There's an open window. Now if only I can reach there.'

Instead of waiting for her to barge right in, Sakura made a run for it. Reaching the opposite side of the room, she hoists her upper body above the sink. The girl reaches out in hopes of grabbing onto the ledge.

But it's too late! The door busts open.

Followed by a yell, "What in the world are you doing?!"

Whether Sakura managed to sneak away or not, Mebuki caught on without much difficulty.

o0o0o0o0o

The sun finally crept up over a patch of hills hidden behind the Haruno household. Sakura rose along with it, half awake but still functional to move around. Said girl found her self sitting in darkness. Her pupils dilated in reaction to the sudden changes. There's usually a light turned on by someone else at this time of day. What made matters worse is how an eerie silence stretched entirely through the house. At first she felt alarmed, but afterwards, later becomes well adjusted.

'Guess it's time for the usual crap...' Sakura mused drily, carelessly removing the covers off her body. The girl shifts around a bit, placing her legs down on the floor. She stands up and heads for the bathroom. In under two hours, most of the tasks arranged by memory were already completed. The next step involved eating breakfast.

As she walks down the oak flooring, a delicious array of scents jams its contents straight up her nostrils. Sakura's brain registered them one at a time, suddenly happy with what's in stored for today's meal. She eagerly headed off towards the right. stood in the door frame, elbow stretched out as her hand grasped onto maple wood. watching a calm woman sip her cup of tea. Not wanting to hijack the peaceful atmosphere, Sakura sat down quietly at the other end of the stable. Looking around, there weren't any plates set aside from this angle. She frowned. 'Lemme guess..all the good stuff is on her side?'

It's true. Each dish had been sitting two inches away from the edge where Mebuki kept her bossoms positoned. Sakura could just imagine the possibility of rice incidentally being spilled all over the woman's vaccum sealed shirt. Upon thinking about it, she shivers.

"...Can you please pass the rice platter, ole great one?"

"Get it your self."

After hearing such an icy retort, Sakura flinched. The sole owner of this phrase simply continued acting as if said teen doesn't even exist. Which she wasn't accepting too well. but for now, in order to spite someone like that..they must appear happy.

'Pfft, I bet it's all a set up. I'll just do what dad always does whenever he feels burned.' she thought eviliyy, diving into the inevitable. Half of Sakura's body shot up above the table, causing it's to shift around. Mebuki listened in from a far, calmly finishing off her tea one sip at a time. Before long, a small hand slowly moves east.

Where ever was it going? There's at least two plates here. Both a rice and meat selecting laid in front of the woman. Unable to predict which way her hand will reach, Mebuki watched in suspence. Sakura's digits wiggled every three seconds, trying to throw off said female's gaze.

As they neared, something weird happened...

One of the pinkette's pointer finger pushed into a bossom pressed against the table.

"Yoink."

"What in the world are you doing?!" roared the woman, pupils cross in complete anger. While she waited for an answer, steam trickled out both nostrils.

The culprit let out a giggle snort, "Nuthin..." Sakura answered dumbly.

Her daughter struggled to keep a firm gaze on such a form. If this were a museum housing onis, Mrs. Haruno and the main attractions could be secretly related! Laughter flooded the room. Mebuki couldn't tolerate how she was being laughed at. She opened her mouth, raw foul words sailing across the room. Sakura felt each phrase smack against her face like a raw hand.

Instead of sticking around for more lectures on how to respect your elders, the pinkette simply fled else where. As the distance between them grew bigger, Sakura kept on running. The front door became visible as she edged towards an escape route. Said pinkette's palm clenched the golden golden knob. Turning it counter clock wise, she pushed forward.

The door opened to reveal cloudy skies, which isn't normal, since yesterday had been the complete opposite. Hopefully there won't be any rain. Either way, she planned not to bring an umbrella if there's any rain drops scheduled in the forecast. Walking across the porch, she descends down a few steps. Her feet finally plant down a stretch of pavement. It's path stretched for miles, housing many building and shops.

Sakura pulled back her chest, then exhaled, seizing a whiff of fresh air. Familiar smells ranging from dumplings to green tea were sucked into her small nostrils. If today wasn't so important, engaging in a shopping spree sounds pretty fun right about now. As she continued walking, villagers passing her would wave and greet meerily.

Noticing their friendliness, a grin slowly formed across her lips. She would wave back, obviously bothered by their sudden interaction. 'By the time I'm through with this group, the test is gonna be officially over!' So instead of continuing to take this way to school, she walked in the opposite direction. Sakura advanced further away from all the vendors and shops.

It's a lot more quieter on this side of Konoha. Which literally screamed trouble. Up ahead, the hokage monuments acted like some type of guide. Sakura felt like a lost Shinobi trying to find their way back home through the mysterious forest. With a smile, she started racing towards it.

Each head lined up from first to last were becoming clear. The first, second, third...

Wait a minute!

...Why were they all foolishly doodled on?

Rather confused by the bizzare discovery, she planned on confirming it with her own two eyes. The girl stuck her whole foot out in a screeching halt. She hadn't moved yet, vision lead straight forward in the direction of said land mark. To the far left, Hashirama appears stone cold... with a gross looking blue booger dribbling down his nostrils? Sakura's left eye brow twitched madly.

"W...T..F?" the words were blurted out one by one, "Who the hell managed to climb up all the way over there and do all that?"

Within seconds, a crisp blast of arctic wind flew by. The pressure caused said girl's red shirt to lift right up. Sakura threw her arms down, struggling to keep her clothing from flying over head. Still feeling it's intense power nearby, she looks around in search of the culprit. The only beings were two people rushing back and forth.

Overwhelmed by their speed, Sakura tried desperately to keep watch for any types of clues as to who they are. One of them seemed tall in height, dressed in a standard green vest.

'Oh thank god, he's a Chunin! Now lemme guess..who he's trying to capture is probably one of those pranksters from my class. Heh. Serves the kid right for getting caught so damn early.' Sakura mused, sticking around a while longer for the finale.

Cornered like a stray, the kid removes a kunai out of his pack for self defense. "Leave me alone! I've done nothing wrong!"

"This is the fifth time one of you goons fucked with the monuments."

"Why do you care about those crummy things? Not even the hokage himself tries to clean them off!"

"Grrr, that's not the point! We've been trying to preserve our culture and history for years. If a kid like you can't even bother to remember, then no one will!"

"Suck on an egg dude! We'll never stop! it's the bad ages and you know it."

The man saw only red red, seeing red as he sailed through the air. Said opponent dodged with complete ease, slamming his foot right down on the boy's back. Struck down by the kick, the victim cries out in pain. falling over from such a defeat.

Closing the gap between them, the older said, "Are you finished acting like a fool now?""

"Don't judge a book by it's cover..." he croaks out, hurling a blob of spit over the man's way.

The target flinches once it collides with his skin. Angered, said Chunin picks up speed as more blows are being unleashed upon the fallen. He curls up into a ball for protection, cutting the damage in half.

"What's wrong now?" his attacker roared between hits, "Backing out cuz I'm teaching you a lesson?!"

Sakura couldn't tolerate seeing this madness take place any longer. Completely bothered by such bullying, her fists balled up in anger. Acting fast without thinking, she gallops over to them. The girl jumps out in front, arms spread apart for further blockage.

"What the hell are you doing? Get outta the way!"

Upon getting yelled at by the Chunin, said pinkette bits down on her bottom lip. 'There's not much I can do now. Might as well finish what I've already started...'

"I won't move! Whatever he did can be easily fixed with only soap and water. Just stop abusing your power!"

He looks directly at her with a bewildered expression. While they were captivated in silence, the trouble maker manages to slip away in a whirlwind of green leaves. His absence resulted in an empty space, causing said man's foot to hit the ground in anger.

"Did you see what happened just now? I lost another kid, damn it!"

Sakura smirked in triumph , "Serves you right! Gonna report it still?"

"Huh?" he asked in pure puzzlement, temper slowly simmering down. "Naw. After what that first trouble maker did to those statutes, most people practically stopped caring. At first a few guys and myself from the neighborhood were assigned to this, but I think its best not rile up the council anymore over some kiddy pranks."

She interrogates the man further, "What other trouble maker? and why doesn't the villagers care anymore?"

"Well, most would consider him a prodigy...but that doesn't exclude the kid from receiving a wicked spanking like any other spoiled brat."

Upon hearing the explanation, her eyes squinted in annoyance. "Let me guess this straight..Since you didn't care from the start, then what's the point of going after him in the first place?"

"Aaah, Nevermind. Bad enough I even explained what's going on in the first place." he mentioned with a scowl, "Besides, shouldn't you be in school right now little missy?"

Sakura mentally slapped her self silly. 'What am I still doing here any way? I've been distracted by all this mess! Gotta get going.'

Before heading off, the girl takes one last final look at the hokage monuments.

All the previous leaders were there. Except for one face..that appears destroyed for some reason?

'Huh? That's strange. What happened to it? Oh well, guess I have to conduct some research on these monuments at the library. That's if I ever get a chance...'

o0o0o0o0o

Sakura nervously crept down the halls. Couple kids were wandering around with her, before breaking off to go the opposite way after finding their destination. pupils reading over signs printed with numbers above the doors. 'Hope I'm not too late...Aha! There we go!' Taking a sharp detour to the left, she stops behind one of the kids. Everyone seemed eager for the test. Sakura felt anxious. What would the instructors make her do? Create two clones? maybe four! She just had to know.

'I wish someone created an eavesdropping jutsu. It probably does exist, unless they outlawed it for personal reasons...gah, who am I kidding? Nobody would let a little girl like me use such a powerful move! Pull your self together Haruno, this your only way out of the damn academy.'

While Sakura mopped and groaned in her mind, the line moved all on its own. The moment to go inside and show her stuff felt out of reach. In fact, she doubted if the last minute training would boost her chances at passing.

'Why am I being so negative all of sudden? This test is gonna be a breeze.'

Before the pinkette could even dwell on the subject, someone from behind tapped her on the shoulder. Their sudden touch caused Sakura to jump in surprise. After regaining her sanity, anger bubbled like a soup boiling on the stove.

"...Excuse me, but do you mind not touching me anymore?"

The stranger kept quiet, lifting two fingers up in her face.

Sakura confusingly wondered why it was shaped like a letter represented in the English alphabet.

"Umm, what's going on—"

he interrupts rudely with a random topic. "What do scissors do?"

"What do... scissors do? What kind of question is that?" she shot back, annoyed by the simple content. "It's quite obvious that their purpose is to cut."

Without a warning, the boy takes steps out of line, suddenly switching places with her.

Sakura caught on quickly. '...D-d-d...d-did..that guy just cut in front of me?'

It's offical. She's been duped! An urge to kick him in the jewels plotted itself in her crazed mind.

Even without seeking any revenge, that booger clearly managed to disappear before she could even try and do anything about it.

"Seems like you got hoodwinked."

"No duh." Sakura replied, rolling her green eyes afterwards. "Gonna track him down for me?"

"Too much work. To be honest, no need to be tricking people in the first place. We're all going to the same place"

"For once, I actually agree with you. Unfortunately, I hope that little shit head fails." Sakura grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

"What a drag..." the student exhaled disappointingly, not too pleased with her answer. "If any of this helps: My dad always said wait to get even with people like him."

"Your father is a logical man, Shikamaru. Well...in a silent cynical way."

"That's called being mildly psychotic. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna catch some Zs. Not like this line is moving any faster then it already is.."

While he slept, Sakura started feeling antsy.

It didn't take long to maneuver through each spot of the line with that sneaky infamous, 'Scissors trap.' Some students didn't fall for it, while others practically cursed or brushed it off entirely. Either way, she's making progress.

"Hey, have you seen a kid whose been cutting people off in line for kicks?"

"Yeah, I already did. Just left straight for the testing room a few minutes ago. Why do you ask?"

An explosion of colorful words went off in her mind. '...Crap! I didn't make it in time. So now I've just cheated people out of their spot for nothing...? Gah! I'm so pathetic.' Either way, she had no choice now but to face the music.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura exhales slowly. "...I appreciate your answer Teru. Thanks for sharing."

"No problem. Also, stay patient. Our turn is coming up soon."

She nods in understanding, then proceeds with staring out into space.

The girl's ears pick up on feet skittering from afar. Curious by such a sound, Sakura before breaking off by looking at the door.

A blond kid rushes out just in time.

Sakura squints, "Hold on a sec... he looks exactly like the same goon who cut me off earlier today."

Teru automaticaly recognized who she was talking about, "You mean Uzumaki?"

From a short distance, someone's ear twitches like a fox. Right after hearing his surname spill like cold milk, said kid looks their way. He simply smirks proudly, holding up what appears to be some type of...

"Are you kidding me?! I cannot believe that orange wearing weasel already got one before me!" She growled vicously, fist clenched tight while shaking rapidly. "He's gonna pay for messing with Haruno Sakura!"

Once Sakura finished ranting, something brilliant set in.

A quote of some sort magically replanted its self in her mind:

"If any of this helps, my dad always said to wait a bit before getting even with people like him."

She felt partially overjoyed, cracking half a smile while starting to recall such a familiar face. 'Shikamaru...thanks for the warning. You've always been considered a genius in my eyes.'

It didn't take long before Sakura opted-out on making a fool of her self. She just couldn't do it. The blond waited quietly for some type of reaction. Unfortunately, the taunt seemed to have back fired! He simply frowned, taking off down the halls a few seconds later. Within seconds upon scoring a victory, the phrase "Shannaro!" exploded out of Sakura's system.

While she gleams in delight, one of the teachers steps out of the testing room.

Teru immediately noticed, "Hmm? Oh, I think you're next. Good luck Sakura-chan. And try your best."

Sakura gulped in fear before staggering forward, unsure with what's waiting beyond..

.

.

It's now or never!

To be Continued

---

Author's note: My main focus is to change most of the original story line. So if you already noticed by now, everything is kindaaaa topsy turvy. In other words, Sakura will be the main heroine! While the other male characters are heroes, including other side characters, enemies, blah blah.

However, most of their main stats are kept intact. Just a heads up if you're expecting MAJOR OOCness! Sooooo, please be on the look out for chapter two. It's not exactly ready yet. Teehee. See ya around.

Tomato awaaaay!