On the outskirts of Konoha rested a small shop. It was an herb shop owned by the Haruno's since the first kage's reign. The shop had many cures that worked so well it was almost magic. As the village grew, many became suspicious of the Haruno's innocent activities. They lost business as more and more accused them of preforming witchcraft, even though the citizens see death defying stunts preformed by the ninjas on a daily basis. Eventually, the Haruno's became ostracized, but one little girl changed that all...
"I can't believe she passed!" a young girl whispered to her best friend as they observed the bubble gum haired girl in surprise, "she's so weak and always sick! Look at her stupid pink hair and her big forehead!"
They both laughed.
"I heard she also likes Sasuke-kun." A third one near them pitched in, "she's a witch! Even Naruto wouldn't go out with her!" she continued, "look she's even growing her ugly hair out for Sasuke-kun!"
They laughed even louder than before.
The pale, boney, and fragile girl in question knew that they were talking about her, but she was too preoccupied in her book to even bother defending herself. They had called her ugly, strange, and weak millions of times before. Although she was a bit lonely, the little girl didn't mind. She learned to love loneliness and the hobbies it brought. Though, she knew that she didn't belong in the ninja academy, like those girls said, she was too weak and ill.
"Sakura," her head shot up to the sound of Iruka's voice, "I would like to speak with you," she closed her book and very quietly met the teacher in the hallway.
"He's probably kicking her out of the school!" the three girls said in unison.
"Sakura-san," the short girl looked up when he said her name, "hm?" she replied, wanting this discussion to be quick so she could get back to her book. Iruka kneeled down to her level, "how long has it been since you ate?"
She looked over to her left, knowing that he wouldn't like her truthful response, "this morning," he raised a brow, "what exactly did you eat?"
"Vegetables and herbs," she answered truthfully, it wasn't like she was depriving her body of nutrients.
"Try and get a little bit more meat and seafood in your stomach, okay?" He patted her on the head, "You need to get stronger, and meat helps." She bowed in respect, "thank you for your concern," he led her back to class, knowing that the little girl wouldn't follow his instructions.
But then again, could her family even follow them?
The class glared at the girl entering, they expected to hear her cry and see her run out the building.
They would do something about this.
It was break time; normally the kids would go out and play- excluding Sakura of course, but this time it was different, one of her peers came up to her and began talking to her in friendly way. Shocked but at the same time pleased, Sakura kept the conversation going. The two started walking together until they reached a corner of the school building.
She was pushed into it.
Suddenly, another girl popped up and tackled her, a second one popped up and landed a kick. It continued until the end of recess. She walked straight home after the beating. Actually, it was more of a limp, and she didn't shed a tear. The bullies purposely did not aim for her face, which gave relief to Sakura, who wouldn't want her mother finding out.
She made it all the way to her home and herb shop, to find her mother, lying on the floor.
"Okaa-san!" she yelled in surprise and she quickly limped over to find her unconscious mother thankfully alive.
It was an illness slowly taking over her mother, it caused her to have dizzy spells and faint. This was one of the occasions. Sakura flipped her unconscious mother's heavy body over and dragged her to a more suitable spot for sleeping even in the young girl's weakened state. The ten year old girl kissed her mother on the cheek and went to go look for a blanket and pillow. She also made a mental note to sweep the floors.
The bell chimed the bell that signified a customer. The rosette ran to the counter, "Can I help you sir?" she politely chimed.
"Is Sachiko-san here?"
Sakura glanced at the direction she hid her resting mother, "No, but I'm pretty sure I can help you!"
The man smiled, "I'm pretty sure you won't be able to understand my problem."
"Erectile dysfunction?" she asked in a voice too sweet.
The man was taken aback, surprised that a little girl her age could know about such bodily issues, "Uh…"
"Is that it?" she asked.
The customer smiled half-heartedly, "Yes."
Sakura smiled, "Okaa-san says the reason no one wants my service is because I'm too young to understand those types of issues," she smiled and prepared the medication, "but I decided to learn anyways, because herbs and healing are the only things I'm good at," she put the goods in a paper bag, "fifteen hundred please."
The shocked man paid his amount, and left the shop surprisingly satisfied. She held the little amount of money in excitement; she could go and buy some beef! Then, a throbbing pain in her leg shot up, she would have to tend to her wounds before anything.
She focused to have a balance of chakra in her hands and a small green glow erupted around them. The child placed her glowing hands on her leg and it healed a little bit. It wasn't completely healed, but it was still something, and more than enough to go and get some meat as her sensei had suggested.
She left the shop, making sure to lock it. The giddy girl planned to make beef stew, a luxury since her mother didn't allow her going out for shopping until she studied and finished her homework. After all that, it would be too late for a girl her age to go out shopping. Her mother was too weak to go out from the house, and on the weekends, Sachiko would teach her daughter about herbs. Almost never allowing the time to shop and spend money. As if it was some curse… But Sakura went out and shopped when her mother was either sleeping or had fainted. Her mother was happy to see food on the table, other than the vegetables they grew, she never got disappointed or ashamed of her daughter for going against her.
Sakura merrily skipped along the streets in the afternoon sun, she had completely forgotten about the beating and the academy.
When she came back home, her mother was up, but too weak to even stand up.
"Sakura-chan, what is in that bag?"
"Beef, I'm making stew tonight," the girl thought of more things to say, "… Okaa-san, did you you're your medication?"
"Oh! I knew I forgot something!" the woman snapped her frail fingers as she took a bottle of pills out of the pockets of her robe; she swallowed two very small tablets without water.
"Kaa-san, you need to drink water to swallow them completely," her daughter ran to the kitchen to fetch her mother some water.
"Sakura-chan, you don-"
"Drink the water," a firm look filled the child's sea foam green eyes.
"Fine," the woman said kindly, she gently took the glass and took a couple sips.
"Kaa-san… You know water is good for you… Why are you not drinking it?"
Sadness took up the woman's eyes, "Sakura-chan, don't worry about it."
The young girl had every right to worry, her mother wasn't eating properly, she wasn't taking her medication like she was supposed to, almost as if her mother was to die soon and none of those factors would help. Sakura knew from her mother's teachings that if you take care of yourself, you would get to live longer and happier. Actually that was just common sense. Had her mother lost all brain functions?
"Kaa-san… I think you should go to bed and rest, I'll take care of the shop," her voice was full of concern.
She pulled her mother up and supported her weight to her mother's bedroom, "Kaa-san, get some rest," and she kissed her mother on the forehead once more before tending to the shop. Sakura returned to the counter wondering why there aren't as many customers as there used to be. She remembered how clean the shop was, and how happy and healthy her mother was. Sakura didn't understand it, her mother pulled off the pink hair, the emerald green eyes, and the pale skin combination so well. Although the young girl didn't like the idea, Sachiko could at least… Fall in love again. If her mother was happy, then Sakura would be too.
A few customers entered the shop but immediately left when they saw the girl in charge. Sakura felt disappointed in her own self and prayed that she could be older, then she could be respected, she could be stronger, she could be beautiful…
And she wished it could happen all in the course of one night…
She looked in the mirror the next day, nothing changed, the beef stew she made the night before gave her a healthier glow, but she knew that it would only be temporary.
"Class, we have a new student," a little blond girl with pixie cut hair made her way through the door and into the classroom. Sakura sat there, mesmerised, the girl was so cute, though, she probably had a rotten personality like the rest of them. Sakura went back to her book not even realising that the new girl, 'Ino' was her name, sat right beside her.
"Good morning, I'm Ino," her smile was as bright as the sun.
Couldn't she see that Sakura didn't have friends? That she was avoided? Her sea foam colored eyes rested lightly on the gossiping girls. She heard the phrase 'all blonds are dumb aren't they?' Sakura clenched her hold to her book as she heard all the rumors dispelling into the classroom. She knew by Ino's tone that she wasn't a bad person.
"Don't come near me anymore," her tone stiff and at the same time vulnerable, you'll get hurt.
Ino raised a brow, "is it because of the girls in the back?" the blond sighed, "Why would I be scared of them?"
A gaze of surprise and confusion from Sakura pointed towards Ino, "d-don't you want to be… Popular?"
Ino looked as if she had the confidence, the friendliness, and the looks to steadily raise her popularity among the kids here. Was it not every kid's dream?
"With them? They look like bullies!" Ino smiled warmly, "you look like you'll be a good friend."
Never in Sakura's life had she heard such nice words directed to her. Did she really look like a good friend? Was she really that worth it?
"Let's be friends!" Sakura smiled stupidly, she never had a school friend before.
"Yeah!" they shook hands. Everyone's jaw dropped, the witch made friends.