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p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"Author's Note:/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"It's been seven long years. Truth be told, I probably wouldn't put it past all of y'all if you were under the assumption that I had just died. Imagine? I started this account as a very confused 14-year old high school freshman that didn't know what he (yes, he) wanted out of his then difficult life. Naruto, like for all of us, was an escape. It was the source of our joy, sadness, and relief. It was my friend. Whatever troubles we had sought to avoid or forget, it provided us with a safety net from the cruel tragedies of reality. Life is hard, there's no denying that. People come and go, but it had always seemed as if Naruto was the sole constant in my life that had been around…until it ended. When I finished the last episode pertaining to Naruto's wedding, it, oddly enough, was not satisfying. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that the one stable constant prevalent in my life was soon to be absent. But now I look back at the past seven years, and I think about how much I've grown as an individual, and how much unfinished business I have left. I didn't forget about the few faithful I had on this site. I love you all, and I know my actions may not convey the same message, but that is what this note is about. I still have stories to tell; through all of our unforgettable characters from a life changing show about our favorite knucklehead ninja. High school was a significant part of my life, so it's only right that the first story back is a high school fic. I have unfinished business, and its time to finish it. In other words, welcome back motherf**kers, I hope you all enjoy it. /strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"High School Breaks Hearts/strong/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanConsistency was the one feature that had eluded Sakura Haruno throughout relatively young life. Her father's work involved constant movement internationally, and that resulted in a widespread lack of stability for Sakura. There is a saying though, that there is good in everything bad. It taught her not to ever get her hopes up, for expectations hurt people far more than humans ever do./p
p class="MsoNormal"Freshman year had seemed like a blur. Sakura made no additional effort to make and maintain friendships, for she did not know how long it would last. At some point during freshman year, a combination of academic pressure and solitude had lead Sakura to have a brief stint with depression. Her parents noticed immediately, and sought to get her the proper help she deserved. The depression had receded, for now. It was already summer vacation, and Sakura seemed disinterested as a whole./p
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p class="MsoNormal" em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Too much free time just leads to sadness/em, she thought to herself. It wasn't exactly a lie./p
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p class="MsoNormal" She was on her way back from the beach. One perk about living in San Diego was easily the scenery and temperature. California is the dream state for many people across the world. But to Sakura, nothing compared to her hometown of Tokyo. Call it nostalgia, but there's just something fitting about going back home./p
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p class="MsoNormal" Her beach visit was premature because her parents had urgently called. "Sakura, honey, come home as soon as possible. We have news for you," her father's voice hollered over the phone. His tone was nonchalant, but she knew her father better than that. He was good at keeping secrets, especially the bad ones./p
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p class="MsoNormal" When she arrived home, her parents were both waiting in their spacious living room. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"This…is really weird/em, she tried not to show the worry and concern on her face as she approached them and proceeded to sit on the couch. She genuinely did not know what to expect from her parents./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Honey," her father started, "we have a surprise for you." Her mother nodded and smiled afterwards. It was a gesture made to ease her up, but it did the opposite./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Is it a good one?" that came out rude, but she didn't know how else to word it./p
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p class="MsoNormal" Her father laughed it off. "Of course it is! I know that the last couple years of moving has been…tough to say the least." Sakura raised her eyebrow. "But your mother and I talked about this thoroughly, and if you'd like… we'd let you move back to Tokyo and continue your high school studies there."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" There was a brief pause./p
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p class="MsoNormal" em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Talk about a bombshell/em. Sakura was experiencing a flurry of emotions. This seemed way too good to be true. "Mom, Dad. Is this for real? You guys are really getting my hopes up right now…where would I stay? Where would I attend?" She had more questions than she knew what to do with./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Well," her father started, "You'd stay at my best friend's residence. You know all about Fugaku Uchiha," her father said laughing. How could she not? He's the only the friend her dad ever talked about. His best man. "He's my old pal. We spoke on the phone about you, and he actually suggested that you finish school in Tokyo. He was more than cooperative about it. I spoke to your mother about this and she is also on board." /p
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p class="MsoNormal" Sakura's mom finally spoke, on cue. "It's true, honey. It's where you belong. You just haven't been the same since we moved." She was a slight hint of sadness in her voice. How could there not be? She was sending her daughter off for the school year for the next three years./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Well, what do you think? Take your time to-"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" "The answer is yes," Sakura interrupted. This was a no brainer. She'd be back home, and who knows, she might see familiar faces./p
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p class="MsoNormal"Her father laughed, "Well that was quick. Well, we'll handle all of the paperwork and accommodations, but this fall, you should be set for Tokyo. I'll let Fugaku know in a bit. In the meantime, go out and enjoy yourself, the day is still young," her father implore, jokingly pointing to the door and making a walking gesture with this two fingers. Sakura got the hint. He was trying to spend some alone time with mom./p
p class="MsoNormal" She went to her favorite park in San Diego. It was a couple miles off of home, but well worth the walk. There's a specific clearing at a point in the park that was absolutely perfect for stargazing, and for thoughts to freely roam. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"This honestly feels too surreal/em, she thought. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I hate getting my hopes up, but wow, this might actually turn out all right. /emShe lay flat and carelessly, parallel to the vibrant sky, illuminated by moonlight. Stargazing was her therapeutic pastime. It made her think about life differently. For that moment, it reminded her of how insignificant we all are, when compared to the vast size of the universe. Life's problems eroded like sand on a span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSan Diego beach. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I know it's been a long time since I've been home. I couldn't have been no more than 7 when Dad got the job and we began moving. I wonder if I'll recognize anybody at Konoha High. /emThese were valid statements, for this was essentially one massive do over, but it was exactly what she wanted, a clean slate. For the first time in a long time, thoughts of the future made her at ease./p
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p class="MsoNormal"END OF SUMMER…/p
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p class="MsoNormal"Everything had been packed, and it was all but time to head for the airport. Sakura felt a jolt of anxiety. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"My life is going to be so different/em, she thought. She nodded to reassure herself that this was the right move./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Honey! We're waiting on you! Get in the car, I don't want you to be late to your flight," her father hollered from the parking lot./p
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p class="MsoNormal" She walked outside the house and took one last look at her soon to be old home. "See ya in the summer San Diego," she whispered. She got inside the car and engaged in the last physical interaction she'd have with her parents in a long time./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Now just remember, stay away from strangers, and if there's anything you don't know or understand, do not hesitate to ask Mikoto Aunty, she's not shy about helping," her mom's internal instinct was in full effect. She looked worried, and sad./p
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p class="MsoNormal" "Mom," Sakura smiled, "I'll be alright. I promise."/p
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p class="MsoNormal" Sakura's mom was unable to restrain herself and proceeded to hug her little child, one last time. "I'm just really going to miss you sweetheart." Sakura had been grateful to have such loving parents. The thought of putting one's child above their individual needs is often easier said than done, but her parents had done just that. What they had just done for her was the epitome of love./p
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p class="MsoNormal" She bid her parents farewell one last time. She then proceeded to TSA security and eventually boarded her plane. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Tokyo, it's about to get very, very interesting./em The natural pink haired teen covered her ears with her headphones and began to drown out the outside chatter with music. Tokyo is on the horizon…in 26 hours./p
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