Disclamer:I don't own naruto.

AU: Uchiha non massacre or maybe postponed for a while.

Summary: Haruno Sakura was one of the few civilian children present in the esteemed Konoha Ninja Academy. Her previous records showed her as a Straight A student, curious by nature and quick to grasp things. However, her homeroom teacher constantly found her to be spaced-out and almost earmarked to be a dropout soon for reasons beyond his comprehension. Can a chanced meeting with the Uchiha prodigy save Sakura and her failing dream of being a ninja?

Note:

Sakura is an average civilian child.

Her burgeoning crush on Sasuke is currently a secret from everyone,even Ino.

This is my first story here. So constructive criticism and feedback is much desired.


It was a really, really sunny afternoon in Konohagakure. The soft noises of the village people bustling around intermingled with the sleepy afternoon lull. The vast shades of trees helped to cool off the sweltering heat. Among these muddy branches and dense thickets a pink head could be seen bobbing up and down. The jerking motion indicated a somewhat rough movement and the wildly splayed hair added a sensuous beauty to the little girl seated nimbly on one of the tree's branches, tucked in her own little secret space. Two lunch boxes were seated innocuously beside her. The little girl busied herself by tidying her already pristine dress and the spot beside her. A sigh escaped her lips- the sigh that accompanies a young woman as she waits for her accomplice in love.

"Sakura"

A voice floated by as soft as the falling leaves. A low, soft sound accompanied by a tone of soft reprimand made its way to the pinkette's ears.

Her only response was a smile which spread teasingly over her pink lips. Another soft sigh escaped her as she swung her pretty little head to catch a look of the reclusive raven haired heartthrob.

"Sasuke-kunn!" Her own voice was a dreamy whisper of longing and...

"HARUNO SAKURA..."

Flustered by the harsh sound the little girl looked around, gasping like a fish which has just been pulled out of water.

"h-hai...Iruka-sensei.."

"What are the different elements used in ninjutsu?."

" a-ah..um..."

"No. I don't remember teaching any elements that go by the name of 'ah' and 'um'"

As the class of ten year olds peeled off in laughters and snickers, the girl bowed her head out of shame but for the mere sake of conformity. With slightly reddening cheeks she peeked between her lashes at the familiar raven tousled head...which was also thrown back in laughter. The teacher in charge shushed the class. With a pointed look at Sakura he resumed his explanation.

However the look was utterly wasted. Sakura didn't think about it even once. Nor did the snickers trouble her in any way. She seemed to be almost immune to it despite the previous reddening in her cheeks. For the girl's eyes were again fixated on her favourite person's head as her mind cheerfully galloped back to her secret space where two lunch boxes waited for her and her lover on a branch. She resumed her reverie of sharing her lunch with her Sasuke-kun. There in the huge green canopy, shielded from the prying eyes of the world-she and Sasuke-kun will sit together side by side, sharing secret smiles and soft talks. She would lift her box nimbly and take out her chopsticks. Like the graceful geishas illustrated on the magazines Ino's mom had, she would hold her chopsticks at an appealing angle, cocking her head to a side while lifting a piece of riceball and feeding –kun will respond with a smile while taking the riceball into his mouth. He will munch slowly, thoughtfully, all the while looking at her out of the corner of his smouldering gazelle like he would compliment her on how good of a cook she is, and how lovely she looks sitting there looking shyly at him. And he would also comment on how lucky she was to...

"Psst Sakura..."

" SA Ku Ra"...

"SAAaaakuraa.."

A series of annoying whispers brought back sakura to the scene in front of her unwillingly. She looked around her to find the intruder who dared stop whatever praise Sasuke-kun was about to lavish on her. Green eyes scanned her surrounding unwittingly while a pout steadily took the place of the whimsical smile on her chubby face. They landed on a pair of curious blue eyes.

"Ino.." Her throaty whisper seemed too high pitch for her liking.

"Aa...You took so long". Ino responded. "We plan to play tag this afternoon...you coming...?"

"Aa...No.."

Ino's chubby face fell at her friend's refusal to come along. The ten year old girl found it difficult to fathom that her pink haired friend didn't want to play with her. Sometime ago, sakura was not like this. She loved playing with now...looks like she has got a new friend or something...

Sakura felt a little pang of guilt at seeing Ino turn away without responding anything. But like the dew drops in sunshine, it evaporated soon enough. Why should she play with classmates, when she could be happy simply being with Sasuke-kun in her little tree. Next to that, all things paled in comparison. Her thoughts, time and sole reason to sit in academy was soon becoming centred on just one thing-Sasuke-kun. In her mind, she and Sasuke-kun were meant to be together ...they were...what was it called...yes, they were Soulmates. Her little mind scanned the word again. She remembered reading it in those glossy magazines..and she remembered how Kaa-san had explained it to her. Since then it stuck with ..She and Sasuke-kun were that...Soulmates.

"Two people who recognise their other half in each other, bound to each other by an invisible but strong bond of love, meant to be with one another through their various cycles of birth and rebirth."

Pleased with her new line of thought, Sakura flipped to the end of her writing notebook and began to doodle. She artfully wrote the word 'Soulmates" in big curly hand decorated with little loops around the edges, with a remarkable flowing style. Next she drew a tree trunk, tall and broad dotted here and there to make its age look prominent. A decoration of leaves followed. Two little lunch boxes were the important details filled in. However, try as she might , Sakura could not write her and Sasuke's names together in the heart she had drawn in the middle of the tree as she had intended to.