Prologue. The girl with the pink hair
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If one were to ask Haruno Sakura what her first memory was, she would say, "Visiting the Hokage Tower for the very first time."
She would then go to speak about her first visit and how her mother had needed to hand in the annual income report of their shop to one of the offices on the ground floor of the tower, that her father had been too busy working to meet a deadline for a custom order to watch her and her mother had opted to take her four year old self along for the trip. Sakura would mention the awe of seeing such a large building so close and the amazement of seeing so many higher ranked ninja - as she was only familiar with the genin whom occasionally came to deliver things for her parents' shop - in one place. She would mention the sheer wonder when luck had allowed her to meet the Hokage when he was returning to his office after visiting the Academy, would launch into an explanation how meeting the Sandaime had inspired her to beg her parents to let her apply for the Academy when she was old enough.
If one were to ask Haruno Sakura what her first memory was, she would lie because her true first memory was an impossible one - Sakura's first memory was nearly two weeks after she turned six months old. Because, on October 10 in the third year of the Yondaime Hokage's reign, Haruno Sakura became a casualty of the Kyūbi Attack. To those present, little baby Sakura's heart stopped due to the toxic and oppressive chakra of the Kyūbi for a minute before restarting once more, leaving her perfectly healthy albeit highly distressed over the event.
To Sakura herself, the original canon Sakura died in that minute and she took her place. It was the truth, though, that she was highly distressed over the event, just...not in the way that everyone thought.
It wasn't the Kyūbi's chakra that distressed her, she in fact never felt it, but waking up in a body far smaller and more fragile then her original. It was waking up cradled in a stranger's arms with a glowing hand pressed to her chest while to more strangers burst into tears, all three ignoring her to have a rapid fire conversation in a language she didn't understand. It was realizing that she couldn't talk and could hardly move, that she was utterly reliant on these strangers to help her. But it was being carried out of the shelter days later, seeing first the destruction of the village then, when her carrier moved far enough, the Hokage Mountain and realizing just where she was regardless of the impossibility of it that distressed her so much.
Sakura stressed her parents out a lot in the time following, for all the screaming and crying she did after the realization. And it wasn't until the memorial for all whom had died that she had finally fallen silent, the list was astronomical and, for every ninja death, there were another ten civilian deaths - entire scores of which were made up of children for whom the Kyūbi's chakra had been toxic.
There were more invasions, she had remembered.
"You can stop now, Haruno-kun!" the words pulled her back to the present and she did another lap - old physical education memories keeping her from stopping immediately to sit down - with her speed decreasing from a run to a walk then standstill as she came before the group of adults. Her mother smoothed her hair as she regained her breath, quicker now that she was an energetic seven year old.
Once she had regained her breath, the chūnin that had been escorting them lead them away - another group taking their place before they were even out of sight. It wasn't until they were back at the entrance that their escort said anything, "That was the last test Haruno-kun, and you did well."
"So?" Sakura pressed, torn between excitement and fear, "Did I do well enough to be admitted, Uchiha-san?"
"Yes," The chūnin said, "Haruno-kun, you fell within the acceptance range and will be expected to be present seven in the morning on Monday for class assignments." Then the Uchiha smiled and it was beautiful, "Congratulations, Haruno-kun."
She bowed, "Thank you, Uchiha-san." Once they were dismissed and had left the Academy behind, she turned to her mother with wide eyes, "So?"
"You can go, I suppose," Mebuki frowned when she cheered, "Though I don't know why you want to, being a ninja is terribly dangerous."
Everything in this world is terribly dangerous, Sakura thought but didn't say. "Everyone wants to be a ninja," She said instead. "And if I'm not suited for it then I won't graduate, it's not like any I'm not learning things that will be taught in the civilian schools."
Her mother's frown grew more pronounced, "But you won't be learning everything that they teach, if you do have to switch schools then you'll be behind in your studies."
"Then I'll study those things on Sunday!" She declared, "And you and Tōsan can hire a tutor to make sure I'm keeping up with my age mates. And- and you can teach me how to run the shop after I finish my homework!"
"That could work," Mebuki allowed slowly before glancing at her with a hard glint, "But it would mean a lot of work, think you can handle it?"
Sakura nodded firmly, "Of course!"
The conversation with her father is easier, Haruno Kizashi had once dreamed of being a ninja as a child and had even entered the Academy. It was bad luck that Kizashi had gotten sick as an Academy student and never quite recovered well enough to pass the physical aspects of the Academy's curriculum, but it did mean that he was sympathetic and supported her wish to join.
"I did it!" are Sakura's first words as they enter their house, bounding up to her father when he exits the kitchen to greet them, "I've been accepted!"
Kizashi immediately swept her into his arms with a whoop, "I knew you could! We have to celebrate!"
Mebuki smiled helplessly when her husband swung their daughter around in glee, "I suppose we do."