This will be a short story in the least but this is not a one shot.

Summary: Everyone that there was nothing wrong with Sakura Haruno. She had a loving home, a good life, and she was living closer to a normal teenager than anyone else. And for that they envied her. Hated her. The problem was they couldn't be more wrong. The signs had always been there and deep down they'd always known. But they had chosen to turn the blind eye and that would have a high cost.

Rated: T for angst, character death, child abuse (later)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Radiant Storm

Sakura sighed looking out at the sky and allowed all of her wondering thoughts to leave her. Training with Kakashi-sensei was done for the day and Naruto and Sasuke had already vanished along with their teacher. But she didn't want to leave; the sky looked so beautiful as dark grey clouds rolled on one another.

It was going to rain.

She didn't care. The wind picked up pulling her hair from her face and raising the leaves at her feet that had begun to fall from the autumn air. They swirled around in her in a small tornado before falling down.

She sighed in content. Breathing deeply she took in every once of smell she could as the clean air full of coming moisture danced beneath her nose, tickling her upper lip. This was absolutely paradise.

A bird tweeted breaking her away from the moment she had put herself into and she looked down at her watch. It was almost six o'clock and her father had wanted her home by seven.

The beautiful scene was lost to her as she remembered home her face playing with untold emotions she kept under lock and key. Slightly her hand went to rub the back of her thigh that was still recovering from the bruise. She could she her whole body covered with them as she closed her eyes wincing in pain that had long since faded.

Her body would never stop feeling tender from the pain.

She opened her eyes and whipped away a tear quickly from her eye. That was okay, it would be okay. This was her cross to bear, not there's. She'd never tell anyone what happened. What she feared.

The bird whistled again and she sighed moving into the street. Tucking a thin strand of pink hair behind her she began to walk to Ino's flower shop. She had the time.

"Hey Sakura," Ino voiced as she came in. The blonde looked bored and none too thrilled to see her coming from a training session with Sasuke. It was always about Sasuke between the two of them. That got Sakura to wonder why? Why did she lose one of the best friends she'd had over a boy.

Because no matter what had happened you would have had to get rid of her anyway. It was harder back then when she didn't have the training and missions to blame for her aches and pains.

Chouji and Shikamaru were with her behind the desk and nodded her direction. So no one was really happy to see her today? She shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't come for them anyway.

Sakura moved to her favorite corner. It was filled with exotic flowers of every kind but her favorite was the red rose. She smelled it and sighed graciously as she lifted herself back up. She had been named after cherry blossoms but she hated them. There was nothing compared to that then the crimson rose. It just seemed to be her…

"Are you going to buy anything?" Ino asked roughly.

"Oh, no actually I just wanted to stop by," Sakura smiled back at the girl but stopped as the clock on the wall hit six thirty. Had she really spent thirty minutes of her time already?

"I gotta go but I'll see you guys later. Bye Chouji, bye Shikamaru." Sakura waved then turned to walk out the door. They grunted and went back to their came.

The thunder rolled as she walked outside and she sighed happy again. The streets were deserted and she let herself have a slight smile. There was nothing she enjoyed more then to have some privacy. She rushed down the street when she heard a yell.

"Excuse me miss?!" An elderly woman called loudly making Sakura stop. She turned around and immediately knew the woman as she smiled sweetly at her and walked back. A look of recognition came to the old woman's eyes.

"Sakura is that you? Oh my dear I haven't seen you in years." The wrinkles around her eyes curved up as she smiled brightly at the younger female. "My dear child look at you, a spiting image of your father."

Sakura smiled back that the woman hiding a look of pain in her eyes at what she'd said. It was okay though, she didn't know.

"Hi Miss Honda." Sakura smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm good dear really good. I see you've made your ninja jump after all." Sakura nodded. "I hate to ask dear but could you do me a favor?"

"Anything," Sakura laughed. There was just something about a smiling face that brightened up the girl's day. She hadn't seen her old nanny in years.

"You see me dog's missing," Honda looked at her. "I have no idea where he could be though he never went past the end of the street before. He got out when I was sweeping this morning and Don Don really does hate storms and I was wondering if you'd seen him."

"No," Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry I haven't." She watched as the woman's face fell. She felt a pang of guilt in her stomach even though it came for no real reason. Honda had lost her husband years ago and the dogs she kept around were like the children she'd never had.

"I can find him for you," Sakura looked at the woman who glanced up in awe. "I have plenty of time and can look for him. With these shinobi skills I should have him in no time." She smiled and went off before the woman could protest.

A look of gloom came across her face as she searched for the dog around every corner. She had no time and the clock wasn't stopping anytime soon…her father…she shook her head and continued her job. She'd just tell him that practice ran over with Kakashi. He'd bought it the other day.

She looked around for the dog when it hit her. She had no clue what the dog looked like. Cursing under her breath she looked at the sky as it rumbled. The storm had gotten closer.

"Look at this dumb mutt!" Sakura stopped as she heard the young male voice. "I said sit!"

Curious she walked to the sound of laughter as she came down a lightly lit alleyway. A group of kids hung around this poor dog yelling and laughing at it. The loudest one with the voice she had heard poked the dog with a stick as it sniffled and huddled close to itself holing its tale between its legs.

"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered. The boy with the stick came up and poked the dog hard in the side.

"I said sit you mutt!"

The dog looked past them and Sakura nearly lost her breath as his eyes landed on her. They were sad and…broken.

They held on to each other through their eye contact until the boy kicked him viciously. Sakura felt an anger in the pit of her stomach as she rushed fore ward.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sakura voiced loudly at the group. The young kids around six and seven jumped and looked at her with shocked and scared faces as she made her way to them with a kunai in hand.

Stopping short of them, Sakura threw the kunai and broke the stick in half .

"Answer my question."

The boys tried to run but she grabbed them one by one in her fist. "Answer me?" She threw them on the ground. "Why are you out here?" She cracked her fist in front of them.

"Hey Sakura whatcha doing?" Kiba came around the corner with his faithful dog at his side.

"Saving this dog," Sakura growled. Walking to the poor dog she watched as he stared at her warily until it licked her cheek. She giggled slightly as she looked at the dog tag she noticed on his neck. Don Don. She smirked widely. She'd found the dog.

Kiba looked to his dog as they talked to one another and he found out exactly what had happened. The dog lover growled angrily. "Do you know that dog Sakura?"

"Yeah I've been looking for him." She glanced up at Kiba. "I'm going to take him back to his owner Mrs. Honda."

"Good," Kiba cracked his knuckles and growled. "Me and these guys are going to have a little talk."

Sakura sighed as the small boys gasped in fear at the dog look on the teens face.

"Just don't kill them okay?" Sakura looked at them with mock pity. Kiba could be a little unpredictable and she wanted to stay but…her father.

"Sure sure," Kiba waved her off and Sakura sighed picking up the small dog and rushed back to Mrs. Honda's. She stopped a the door and laughed as the woman nearly cried taking in the dog and thanked her over and over. She hated to seem rude but she didn't stay for something to drink but instead hurried home.

Before she could turn to her street she glanced down at her watch, seven o five. She cursed loudly as she rushed to her home.

The fast pace fell as she walked into the home and the thunder rolled behind her again as she closed the door. A lightening bolt flashed as the first few drops slowly began to fall.

She loved the rain.

"Where have you been?"

Sakura whished he'd been mad. She had hoped he'd be in a yelling mood but that wasn't it. Her father was calm as he stared at her as he stood in the hallway. That scared her more then anything.

"I was with Sasuke and Naruto. We have a mission coming up so Kakashi-sensei wanted us to stay longer to practice." She held her breath.

"No you didn't," he took a step towards her and she stepped back. Her back hit the wall as he stood in front of her. "I just saw Sasuke on my way back from the market and Kakashi was going home." He gripped her arm hard.

"You just lied didn't you Sakura?" He growled her name as his brow wrinkled. Sakura always found it funny when she was younger how her father had this one wrinkle on his forehead when he was mad. His dark teal eyes glared at her and she stopped the shudder as his black hair fell in his face. His hand squeezed harder.

"Ah," She gripped his wrist despite herself biting back from the pain. Immediately she knew it was a mistake. After years of this she'd thought she'd get used to the pain and stop reacting to this. But for some reason she couldn't block it out. She acted out of instinct. And that was her biggest mistake.

His other hand gripped her hair hard in his fist as he yanked her head up.

"Am I hurting you daughter?" he laughed. "Answer me damn it." He tossed her aside and she caught herself from falling face first in the ground.

"Shit girl I thought you were better than that," He growled placing a foot on her lower back pushing her to the ground. His weight was hard and she bit back a groan.

She would be okay, she always was.

The thunder rolled louder outside as the full storm finally hit the village and rain pelted down hard. The wind was demanding outside and she heard it whistle.

"You gonna answer me today?" Sakura smelled the beer on his breath and took a deep breath to hold. When he was like this there was no option. If she didn't tell he would hurt her. If she did he would still hurt her.

There was no point in making it harder on herself though and she hoped for mercy.

"I was at Ino's for a while then was coming home when Mrs. Honda stopped me. She wanted me to find her dog so I did," she hissed in pain.

"Do you have an attitude with me girl?"

"No." She hated the way she sounded so pleading.

"NO WHAT?" he yelled. "No Sir." She corrected herself feeling stupid. Her father always demanded respect from his men when he was a ninja but especially her and her mother.

"Good." He pulled back and let her stand.

"I'll go make dinner." She knew it would appease him if she mentioned something that would fulfill his hunger. Rai Haruno was always an empty pit.

"And I'll go tend to your mother." He turned from her with a mock salute and walked off. Sakura wasn't stupid, he wasn't done. He'd come back for her later. He always did.

She walked into the kitchen and started to cook the evening meal when she heard the rolling thunder. She looked outside just as lightening fell from the sky in a wild dance that only it knew the rhythm too. It was beautiful.

"Why don't you leave her alone?" Sakura cringed stopping as she heard her mother plead with her father. He smacked her across the face. She knew that sound wasn't thunder.

"Shut up Bitch!" She heard her father yell back in his gruff baritone and whished her mother would listen. Half of her did. She wanted to believe that her mother would stand up for her and change her father. The other half knew that for that to happen there would have to be a big fight and she prayed her mother wouldn't do that. In a wheelchair her mother was nothing compared to her father.

She tried to ignore them and make the rice until she heard a loud crash and wail. Her mother. Running up the steps she threw open the door to their room. Her father stood over her mother sprawled out on the floor with her father above her.

"What the hell are you doing up here?!" he yelled coming to the girl. "Get the hell back down here."

"Rei stop," her mother grasped his leg. Sakura saw something in his eyes that made her move. She'd never know what she saw and would never have the chance to tell anyone. She rushed fore ward as her father moved to stab her mother with the kunai he kept on him under his shirt. She took the blow.

"SAKURA!" Her mother's wailing voice was the last the pink haired girl heard as she fell against the still warm body. For some reason she couldn't breath. Her hands and body stopped moving, all she could do was blink. It was odd really, she'd never noticed there was a spot of red paint on the ceiling. She wondered how that had happened.

Her eyelids felt heavy and her ears didn't seem to want to function. She felt cold.

She felt tired. So she closed her eyes leaning against the warm body of her mother as she blinked. Sighing she decided to fall asleep.

Outside the thunder boomed loudly as the lightening played in the dark clouds and the rain twisted in the wind.

Sakura had always loved storms.

Send me a review and let me know what you think.

This is not a one shot by any means. There will be about ten chapters in all. Most of them may be short.

The others never knew. She had been Sakura, no problems, no worries. Her life was a normal teenager, at least as normal as one could be training to kill for her village. They stopped to question themselves. How had they missed the signs?