The Strength From Within- a story originally written by Wounded Angel-sama.
Howev, I decided to make my own version of the story by using a slightly different storyline. Pairings? It's a secret! The story starts after the attempted invasion of Konoha. I shall make you proud, Angel-sama!
Chapter One- Power
Sakura sighed as she walked down the streets of Konoha. There wasn't anything she thought of that was better than to see the villagers going about their daily business, smiling as they talked with one another. Children played tag, weaving around the townspeople like fish in a river.
"Sakura-channnnnnnnn!" A voice behind her bellowed. The kunoichi turned around to see Naruto full tilt running toward her.
"Hey Naruto, watsup?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.
"Tsunade Baa-chan wants to see you. I think she's sending you on a mission"
Sakura's green eyes widened, "Really? Sweet! Thanks for the message, Naruto."
Naruto giggled in his own way, "Anytime! I'll see ya later!" and with that, ran off on the rooftops.
'You know you're a ninja when you rather travel on the roof rather than on the street' She chuckled, and made herself go into the direction of the Hokage's office.
It was a bright and sunny day, the kind that made everyone want to go and enjoy it. Flowers flourished outside of stores, and people were constantly laughing and smiling. Yes, this is what Sakura truly lived for, the happiness of the people she protected through her duties as a ninja. It didn't matter that she wasn't special like Neji or Sasuke. Or that she wasn't as smart as Shikamaru. Sasuke…the very name brought anger to Sakura's eyes. Yes, at one point in her life she believed that he was her true love, but after his betrayal, there was only anger in her heart. Sakura took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Enter." A voice within commanded. Sakura did, and saw two people standing in front of Tsunade's front desk.
"Mom? Dad?"
Sakura's mother Hana turned around, "Hi there honey! Lady Tsunade has a mission for us!"
"Really?!" Sakura almost squealed. Now she could show them her skills!
"That's right! We're all in it together." Her father, Kuno nodded. Both already had packs on their backs.
"That's right," Tsunade cut in. She had Ton-Ton in her lap, "You three will be going on a B-ranked mission. A group of shinobi from the Mist has stolen a scroll that contains valuable information about Konoha's history. If they bring it back to their village, they will know every weakness in our defenses. That is why I need you three to get it back ASAP. You will leave immediately."
"Yes ma'am!" The family saluted, before disappearing in a smoke cloud.
Tsunade sighed, and opened a bottle of sake. Before she drank, she prayed that they would succeed.
The three shinobi leaped from branch to branch, occasionally jumping from the ground. Sakura was slightly farther up then her parents, enjoying the wind on her face.
"Honey! Be careful where you leap!" Hana called in a mother like fashion. Sakura rolled her eyes, smiling a bit.
"Dear, she's thirteen! I'm pretty sure Sakura knows what she's doing!" Kuno moved a little closer to his wife.
'Thanks dad.' Sakura's's expression suddenly fell mid leap. She put on the brakes, and stopped. Her parents leapt ahead a branch and looked back. Sakura was looking at her left, reading the chakra signals through the trees.
"What's the matter, honey?" her mom materialized beside her. Kuno joined them a second later. Sakura closed her eyes, something was wrong. Very wrong.
"AMBUSH!" Sakura screamed. At the same time, a storm of shuriken headed their way. Kuno took out a kunai and blocked the ones aimed at him, while Sakura and Hana leapt high. The pinked haired girl spun about as she planted a roundhouse kick on a Mist nin that had followed her lead. More shinobi closed in, armed to the teeth.
"There's too many of them! Hana, Sakura, run!" Kuno drew a hidden katana.
"Dad, no!" Sakura cried, holding off a ninja on her own.
"I'm staying with your father, just go!" Hana sent a fist full of kunai while she was back to back with Kuno, "I sense the scroll a quarter mile west!"
Sakura gulped, and knew that she had to continue without them.
"But…"
"Just go! We'll catch up!" Kuno yelled as he beheaded an unlucky shinobi.
Sakura forced her body to move away from the bloody battle, where she felt the history scroll's aura pulsing faintly in the trees.
'That thing has power…I hope mom and dad will be ok…' Sakura landed on her feet, seeing the medium sized scroll in a small clearing. She looked around, and found nobody there.
'How odd…' she felt almost mystified and wary as she slowly walked toward the scroll. Sakura hesitated, fingertips and inch from the scroll before finally picking it up.
Suddenly, kunai flew from every direction, all aimed for the kunoichi.
'Damn! A trap!' She had no time to perform a jutsu as the knives cut into her body from all sides. A scream tore past her lips as each cut burned like icy fire. When the metal storm finally abated, Sakura fell to her knees in a pool of blood. Her blood.
"Dad…mom…' Were her final thoughts before her world went black.
'Sakura' A voice called to her. Sakura's conscience stirred, and she woke up in a grassy field that was white and pure.
'Where am I?" She thought, getting to her feet. Looking up, her heart stopped as she spotted something huge in the sky.
Moments later, an extremely large golden dragon filled the skies before her vision. He had brilliant red eyes and stag like horns. Sakura gasped, but she was only filled with awe, not fear as the tremendous being came within feet of her.
'Sakura, you are special.' It said, using telepathy to speak.
"Who…are you?" Sakura asked, clutching at her heart. The great dragon chuckled, a thunderous yet gentle sound.
'My name is Glaedr, young one, and you were always loved by the elements."
Sakura blinked, "Loved by the elements? What do you mean?"
'Ever since the moment you were born, you were loved by all life for being pure and untainted. Have you ever noticed it rained whenever you cried, thundered whenever you felt anger, or sun shone when you were happy?' Glaedr shifted a bit, golden scales sparking in the sun. Sakura thought about his question for a moment, and discover that it was true about what he said. She remembered the time where her pet bird Beauty died of old age, and that she cried for a whole week. It also rained during the time, although the meteorologists were baffled, as they predicted sunny skies.
'Sakura, if you wish, I would love nothing better to reward your kind nature and pure heart by offering a fusion of our souls.'
Sakura went wild-eyed, "A fusion of our souls? What do you mean?"
'Simple. My powers and knowledge would be yours to share, as well as living a blessed and happy life.'
"What's the catch? Such great gifts have to come with a price, even if I am love by the elements as you say"
Glaedr chuckled again, 'There is no catch, Sakura, only that with great power, comes great responsibility.' Sakura thought for a moment, then nodded once.
"Very well, Glaedr."
The golden dragon nodded once, then suddenly charged, roaring mightily. Sakura felt the urge to run, but Glaedr was already upon her, but he didn't crash, but rather went inside her in the form of light when he got close. She screamed as her nerves burned like never before. When the fusion was complete, Sakura's vision went black once again.
Outside, her body started to glow as her wounds healed in seconds. Then, her body disappeared like a ray of light fading from the clouds.
Meanwhile, Tsunade couldn't help but worry as hours passed, and the Haruno family did not return.
"It was just a B-rank mission!" she cried, throwing the papers up in the air. Shizune gulped, but then a bright light filled the room, blinding both females. After a few seconds, it faded away to reveal Sakura still knocked out on the floor.
"SAKURA!" Tsunade leaped up, amazing to see gaping wounds healing on her protégé's body. Shizune gasped, and a black scroll rolled on the floor to her feet.
"Send a team after Kuno and Hana. I don't know what happened, but something here is not right." Tsuande ordered, voice dark as she checked Sakura's vital signs. Shizune nodded and was off. The Fifth Hokage sighed: Sakura seemed fine, if a bit pale, but that didn't stop the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.