CHAPTER ONE:

PREFACE AND ELEVEN YEARS LATER

Preface

"Mama, where are we going?" asked a young girl. Her cheeks were slightly pink due to the cold winter air. The small family carried on running through the night.

"Shhh, sweetheart. You need to go to sleep. Do you understand me? We'll wake you up when we're done," whispered the elder woman, still carrying the little girl.

"Mama?" the woman looked down to the little girl. "Sing me a lullaby mama. Please sing me a lullaby."

"Which lullaby would you like me to sing sweetheart?"

"That one," whispered the little girl. The woman sighed but complied with the small child in her arms.

"The rain beats down

Down against my skin

Can you hear it?

The rain singing for you?

Lay your head against my chest

Count my heartbeats 'til you fall asleep

Sleep while the rain beats down

Down against your skin

Listen to the stories

The stories that are told by the rain

Listen to the cries

The cries that are told by the rain

Listen to the pain

The pain that is told by the rain

Listen to the sorrow and happiness

The sorrow and happiness told by the rain

Do you feel the rain little one?

Do you hear my heartbeat little one?

Sleep while the rain beats against your skin

Count my heartbeats 'til you fall asleep

Fall asleep against my chest

Fall asleep against my chest

And hear my heartbeat," sang the woman, she looked back to the village that they were leaving. They had to though, to save her. To save their little Cherry Blossom from the nightmare that was there in their home village.

Eleven years later

"You can't catch me even if you tried!" squealed a girl blonde haired girl.

"Yes I can Amaterasu!" yelled a brown-haired girl. I watched as my two friends ran around giggling and shouting.

"Ne, Chou, Ayame, shouldn't we keep them apart because of the last time they did this?" I asked the two girls sitting next to me, the black-haired girl looked up from her book and snorted while the strawberry blonde just stared at the two girls running around.

"Sakura, let them be. If need be Ayame will tell them to stop and then a new fight between her and Miyako will start about bossiness," stated Chou not looking up from her book.

"Yes, but shouldn't we be studying for that test tomorrow? You know how bad they are at that stuff Chou."

"We have to wait for the boys Sakura, besides Chou wants to finish her book so let her be," muttered Ayame. "Ah, speak of the devils." I looked up to see five figures walking towards up.

"Keiichi! Miyako's being mean to me again!" whinnied Amaterasu as she clung to the boy's arm. He had white hair and pale blue eyes, he gave Miyako a glare and she ran to Keiji and clung to his arm, unlike his brother Keiji had black hair and dark blue eyes, the two brothers glared at each other before Daisuke fell tripped, thanks to Nobu- between the two boys.

"Nobu, you should really stop doing that to Daisuke," muttered Chou she snapped her book shut. Things weren't going all to good, I looked towards the brown-haired, blue-eyed boy to see if he was okay, sure enough he got up and attacked his attacker, the brown-haired, green-eyed Nobu.

"Yuki, how are you feeling today?" I asked. The boy looked up to me, his black hair framing his pale face and his pale green eyes staring at me as though he was looking into my soul.

"Fine," he whispered softly and everyone turned towards him. That was the effect he had on people. "We should start studying for that test now."

Everyone sat around Yuki and started with the studying, now and then you could hear mumbles of not understanding something and then someone mumbling an explanation of it then "Ah, that makes sense." all in all it was peaceful, calming and relaxing.

"Ne, Sakura? Who's that?" asked Nobu, he stared at my drawing of a girl, her hair was short and her fringe framed her face as she smiled.

"Ino," I whispered. I barely remembered my life before here, but I remembered her, my first friend, a small smile crept on to my face, yes she would always be one of my best memories.

"Ne Sakura? Isn't that Shizune?" my head shot up to look at the figure heading towards us, a full smile on my face at the woman heading towards me. For once she wasn't wearing usual outfit but a Jounin and Tsunade wasn't with her either, a man was in her place. He wore the same outfit as Shizune, he had brown shoulder length hair and brown eyes, he also had a senbon in his mouth.

"Shizune-san!" I yelled running towards her once I ruled the new man human, I didn't care if I was acting like a child, it had been to long since I last saw her. "What are you doing here Shizune-san? Where's shishou? And who's he?"

The woman laughed and hugged me tightly. "This is Genma, Genma this is Sakura." the male looked towards me a lazy smile on his face, lifting his hand as a semi-wave. I returned the gesture and turned back to Shizune, she had a huge smile on my face and I felt my brows scrunched up in confusion as I looked from the woman to the man, a slight tint was seen on the woman's cheeks and I lifted a pink eyebrow at her, her smile fluttered and she went redder as she looked down to the ground.

"Ne, Shizune-san where's Shishou?" I didn't like this, something bad was going to happen if it hadn't already. The woman looked up to me a smile in place again.

"Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama would like to know if you'll come and live with her. She's finally settled down and there's a hospital where you can work and a lot of kids your age there, she wants to know if you'll come. And so do I! We miss you Sakura-chan!" the woman looked as if she was about to cry but I knew better the that, yes what she said was true but I didn't know if I could leave or not. This was my home and I needed to hunt down those monsters. I could I do that if I was with them?

No, I couldn't. I'd be put into a team with two other men probably, have a sensei, have missions and work at the hospital. Plus training with my new team and shishou. Where was the time to hunt? The only people who knew I hunted was the little unknown village I was at and everyone here was a hunter at some point of their life.

I looked back at my friends that I had gained over the past eleven years and wondered if it was all worth it, to just get up leave them here. But I really wanted to see and stay with Shishou and Shizune. What was I going to do?

"Shizune-san, when, if I'm going with, do we have to leave by?" I asked. The woman looked at me.

"Well as soon as I have your answer then we leave. This was a mission we got, so as long as it takes Sakura-chan," she smiled sweetly at me, oh how I missed that smile. How I missed her. How I missed Shishou.

I watched as she and Genma walked away and looked to my friends.

Should I go? Could I go? If I do, what about my training? My hunting? Would Shishou allow me to carry on with it? Can I hunt on my own? Could there be other hunters there? Would I have to give up my hunting and become a regular ninja? Could I become normal? What is it that I want? Where is Shishou living?

All these thoughts raced through my mind not giving me time to think nor answer them. But the one that stuck out like a sore thumb was: Can I leave my friends and my life here and never return? That one was the most confusing one. Could I do it? My parents had run away with me for a reason, a reason I still did not know, and brought my here where I was trained. Then after dying on a hunt, I met Shishou and she trained me in the art of medic, soon I was able to do things on my own.

Was I able to throw away my life here for my Saviour? The answer was easy. Yes I could.

Was I able to throw my friends away for my saviour? The answer was easy too. No I couldn't.

Was I able to have a chance at a family? Yes, I could. Me, Shizune, Tonton and Tsunade-sama.

Was I able to have a chance at a normal life? No, I had a duty no matter what. No matter where I was.

I could see my friends trying to stay calm but at the same time they were panicking. Well the girls were, the guys were calm and looking at me, trying to figure out what was going through my mind. I looked at each and every one of their faces. I could pick up the choice for me.

Amterasu, sweet sweet Amterasu, with her blonde hair and blue eyes,the loving, caring, hyper-bunny of our little group told me I should take it. And that she was proud of me. Her eyes sparkled with her pride for watching me grow up.

Miyako, loyal Miyako,with her brown hair and green mossy eyes, the protective, girly-girl and bossy one of our group told me she didn't want me to go where she couldn't keep me safe.

Chou, our butterfly, with black hair and dark brown eyes, looking at me with calm eyes saying I should do what I felt right. That even though she could read and solve problems, this one was for me to solve.

Ayame, collective Ayame, with her strawberry blonde hair and meadow green eyes, another protective bossy one with a bit of brains told me I was a big girl and that this was my choice. One that she would be proud with.

Keiichi, wise old Keiichi, his hair white and pale blue eyes, he was protective of the girls in our group, he was smart and helped us even though he was three years older. He air around his was a wise one but that could be because of his geeky side, told me that no matter what he would always be there for me. Even if I chose to leave.

Nobu, shy shy Nobu, with his brown hair and green eyes, the smart, protective hyper-bunny told me that he didn't want me to leave. That he thought they needed me here with them.

Yuki, our glue, with his black hair and pale green eyes, the calm, collective, tough yet bossy and smart ass told me not to leave. To stay and never leave. His eyes begging me to stay.

And lastly, Keiji. Sweet, whinny, silly Keiji with his opposite appearance from his twin brother Keiichi, with black hair and dark sea blue eyes, my lover for a while with his smart ass comments and hyper movements, he told me that it was up to me. That he supported my choice but that I should go to my family but I could see the hurt and the conflict in his eyes and body language.

It tore me up, if I chose to stay then there was a chance I would never see Shizune and Shishou again. If I left I might never see my friends ever again. My family was split into two and I didn't know where to turn to. Should I ask the Elders? Should I ask that strange man with Shizune? I couldn't turn to the people I normally turned to since I was staring at them now.

Maybe you could make an arrangement with Shishou. Ask her if you can come here every now and again to see them. Also you could write to them and they could write back. May be even come to the village you'll be staying at if you chose to go.

That was something I never wanted to hear again. I didn't want to hear from her, but she did have an idea and one that could be done.

Are you staying?

No. I just thought I could help since everyone you normally go to is part of the problem you're trying to solve. Her voice faded into nothingness and I welcomed the silence with open arms.

Could it be that simple? I looked towards my group and then started asking them about that plan to see if they would be on board before I went to Shizune. Maybe this could work. Maybe I could pull this off and be with my family.