Disclaimer: I hate you people for making me write this because it ruins the coolness of the story featured below. I own Naruto and all its people. Yeah kill me.

I DON'T OWN IT.

Thoughts.

Regular.

Author's Notes.

Spoilers Warning

Sakura gulped, the tears almost pouring out. She had seen the resemblance between the three sannin and team 7 and now they were almost identical. She the slug, he the snake, and Naruto the toad. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. Would their fate be the same as well? Sakura didn't know.

Sasuke had run away, he was now a missing nin; just like Orochimaru. Naruto was training hard with Jiraiya to learn all his master's Justus. And she…

She wasn't strong enough.

She had promised herself she would train just as much as the boys and never be left behind. But now it looked like Naruto and her were running at the same pace while Sasuke was gaining the lead.

She would have to work harder. Sasuke… Sakura should her head. She would never look at him the same. He who held so much pain and anger in his past would now follow the path of the legendary sannin?

But he wasn't the same as Orochimaru! A voice argued in her mind.Orochimaru was greedy, selfish, and disgusting. He wanted power for his own sake. Sasuke wanted it for his family's sake. And that, that was different. Perhaps that was the difference that would save him from the same ending. Love for his parents. Love for you.

No. He never loved me. Sakura thought sadly. He might end the same way. Letting the pain consume the love.

Sakura knew in her heart, it would have to be her. She had failed the last time but this time…

She would argue and fight and murder him if she had to but he would never become the same as Orochimaru. And if she failed…if her life should pass before his did…Naruto would finish him. Team 7 was her team and she would save it.

Sakura laughed now. It was rather ironic actually.

Sasuke, he had always wanted to become stronger as a ninja but…the number one rule for ninjas is to have no emotion. His emotions; hate and fear for his brother are what drive him. In this way, he was not a strong ninja.

What drove her? The love for Sasuke? But she no longer loved him. So what did drive her to train so hard? Determination, and the want for her to be able to stand in between Naruto and Sasuke as a team.

As for Naruto? He wanted to be Hokage. To be special.

I guess a person can be driven by anything pretty much. Although when a person is driven by hate and pain, they can end up like Sasuke. Sakura reasoned.

A/N: This is what happens when I have Altoids, Who Knew by Pink (CD), and just read lots of SasuSaku fanfics. Any Orochimaru fans out there, sorry. If the meaning of the story isn't clear, it's pretty much Sakura saying she wants to go back to the genin days when they all somewhat got along. Sorry if there are too many '…' but they are thoughts. Please review! I want sixty thousand reviews if I'm going to make a Naruto sequel. No just kidding. Make that sixty reviews.