Disclaimer: Applies to present and future chapters: I do not own Naruto.
Summary: Haruno Sakura, taken captive after a group of rogue Kirigakure ninja ransack her village, escapes into Konoha broken and on the verge of collapse. She was certain this was her last moment. She could join her family. That's when she saw him.
Prologue
Outskirts of the Fire Country
It was quiet, too quiet, the type of quiet that heralded hurricanes or earthquakes. It was the type of quiet that woke Sakura. Blinking her emerald eyes open wearily, she slid off her bed, small feet padding towards the door.
The hallways were pitch black, empty, yet held a sense of foreboding. Sakura sleepily walked towards her parents' room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, muttering "Daddy…mommy…" The bedroom door was slightly open and she peeked through.
Her eyes widened and the world stood still. "Argh." Her father's body fell from the stranger's kunai and thumped on the floor. So cold. Why did it feel so cold? Blood pooled. It's…not supposed to be red. Why is it red? Why? WHY?
"Daddy…" Four pairs of eyes shot towards the door, one filled with fear.
"RUN SAKURA! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" The woman struggled against her captor, eyes wild with fear.
Sakura stood in the doorway paralyzed. Who are those strangers? Her daddy and mommy…One of the men silently approached. "Little girl," the voice cackled. She ran as fast as her little feet could carry her.
A second later she was lifted up in the air by a pair of arms, screaming wildly. She was carried outside, struggling but stopped at the sight.
Her village was enveloped in flames. Houses were ransacked. Children were screaming. No. NO!
And so Sakura was one of the many that were captured and taken prisoner by Kirigakure shinobi. That was the day she saw her village destroyed, the day her father was killed in front of her, the day her mother was taken away, the day her young world fell apart. That was the day Sakura Haruno turned 5.