Chapter I – Striding Backwards
"Here, you can have this! With it, you'll always remember me even if we're far apart."
Every person has something to hold on to, a special trinket that flashes their old memories. Whether it was a past shrouded with misery or a past endowed of innocent bliss, it didn't matter for these things are the ones that you really don't want to forget. However, there are times when you feel nostalgic as you hold onto that object, but you just can't remember anything at all, even if you tried as hard as you could to remember, like a broad mist was trying to keep you away from it.
Sakura Haruno, has been living for sixteen years of her life and has been suffering of partial amnesia. She couldn't remember what happened in her childhood years. Currently, she's experiencing recurring dreams ever since she got a pendant of hers from her late grandmother, who passed away not too long ago.
'I wonder why it always stops in that particular scene. Whenever I have these dreams of mine, my mind would stop at a scene of a blurred face of a small boy, who seemed to be the one who gave the pendant and for some reason, I felt that he was smiling even though I couldn't see his actual face...'
She sighed as deep as she could, wondering over the issue for the umpteenth time. After all, the dream was bugging her to no ends especially when the pendant was given.
'Why can't I remember anything? Why can I only remember the things that happened in middle school? I just don't understand.'
Other than that, her dilemmas were far from over, as Sakura contemplated whether should she pursue her plans on studying in Konoha Academy or should she continue on being home-schooled back in Wind Country's Metropolis of Sand. Staring at the brochure of said school, she lingered her fingers on the picture of the grade school branch building. It felt all too familiar for her and for that reason in the first place, she decided to move back in Leaf City, her supposed hometown and the main city of Fire Country, as soon as she saw the picture.
'Come on, Sakura! There's no need for hesitation now, is there? You're already here and you would waste a good amount of savings because of those stupid pricey flight tickets. But...'
She paused on her thoughts for a moment, trying to find an excuse to reconsider the option of studying at home, which is actually half-truth.
"But, I'm not good with people!"
Upon realization that she just made an outburst of her thoughts, Sakura covered her mouth in embarrassment. Who wouldn't when she said her thoughts out loud, literally? She had just grabbed the attention of the customers and the bystanders outside the open cafe.
Coughing to break the awkward stares and silence, she resorted on staring at the already filled-in papers of application for Konoha Academy, to go and return on her self-argument until her phone rang. She looked at her caller.
'It's Temari. I wonder what she wants – '
Sakura briefly glanced at her wristwatch, 'And it's currently in the middle of the night there in Wind Country, too. Did something happen?'
Satisfying her curiosity, she pressed the green symbol on her mobile phone's keypad and answered.
"SAKURA!"
Said girl, winced as she jerked her head away from the phone.
"Temari? Uh, what're you doing, calling me in the middle of the night?"
"My brothers kept annoying me to call you with them being more paranoid than usual, since it's the first time you've been far away from us. Heck, I'm worried about you, too, but for a little punishment, I'll keep quiet about my fixed phone and the fact that I was able to contact you with it."
"Gee, thanks. You haven't changed at all, Tem. Anyways, speaking of brothers, I doubt Gaara annoyed you as much as Kankuro. You know, with him having a case of 'a pole stuck up in his ass' as you would call it."
"You're quite right, Saku. Although, I should be more furious with him for trying to scare that poor guy who was trying to fix my phone. I mean who could concentrate while working under THAT pressure. Even Gaara's glares give me the chills."
Then, the dreaded uncomfortable silence came, for Sakura that is.
"Saku. You are okay...aren't you?"
She couldn't answer.
"Sigh, let me guess. You're scared of the new people you're about to face, but, that's not all. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"Sakura, when you decided to fly all the way there, didn't you have that sturdy resolve? Now where did that burning will of yours go? Sakura, if you're as determined and as positive as you said you are that you are sure of finding the answers there, there are no reasons for you to back out now."
"But, Tem –"
"You want to put an end to your dreams right?"
"Of course, I want to."
"Then, you should just go and submit your application papers. Don't leave it staring back at you on the table!"
"Huh?"
"Sakura, I know you enough that I could actually guess it."
"Temari?"
"What?"
Sakura smiled. She stood up and turned around to see a blond-haired girl in her late teens with her phone near her left ear, while seated with her back facing Sakura, as Sakura closed her phone. She leaned her chin on the blond girl's shoulder with a whisper of words before she left.
"Same as you, I know you enough too, Tem. Thanks for coming."
The blond closed her own phone; her face flustered.
"I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"
Temari just laughed it off then paused, 'I wonder if I'd get in trouble with the ass and the pervert back at Sand? Nah, doesn't matter.'
The girl, who left, went back to her table and fetched the envelope with the sprawled application papers, putting them back inside as she finally took off from the cafe. Sakura smiled to herself.
'Thanks, Tem.'
After the call from her close friend-slash-non-blood-related sister, her strength went back in full power, making her choice final. Heading towards the school on foot, she had lost the anxiety she had awhile ago. Yes, before she stayed in the nearby cafe, Sakura was already a few walks away from the school when she turned back due to nervousness and fear.
Releasing her contained breath, she passed the gate.
"Here we go."
Then, the hourglass, set off towards the future, upturned.