Haruno Sakura is six and a proud student of Kohana's 'Little Leaf Elementary School'. Well she would be proud, and probably have a better sense of belonging, if all of her classmates didn't almost constantly make fun of her for looking 'weird' and 'foreign'.
It was only a month until class graduation and Sakura is currently walking home in tears after a full day of being poked, bitten, and having her pink tinted hair pulled out of it's braid. She was lost in thought until she heard an undignified hiss. Curious, the young Haruno turns down the alley the hissing is coming from and sees a few older boys trying to step on a snake. Without fulling think about anything but protecting the pretty snake, Fujie put herself between the snake and boys.
What a strange sight the young Haruno must have made with tear filled bronze eyes, pale grey skin, and fly-away strands of tinted hair. Yet, Sakura's first thought wasn't about how 'foreign' or 'weird' she must look but instead on making sure the snake at her feet was protected.
"Look at this boy's," An older boy in the group spoke casually, looking Sakura over with an unimpressed eyebrow. "A little foreigner wants to protect the dirty snake. What do you think we should do?"
"I think, all of you might want to step away from the young girl and my summon before something bad accidently happens to you."
All the gathered children go ridged at the sound of a dark and fear inducing voice rings out around them. Unnaturally the voice seems to bounce off the walls in a way to cause all of the children to feel light headed.
Despite this while the boys run away, Sakura feet stay rooted to their spot and she is unable to move her body.
From around the corner a man walks out, casually flicking his fingers in her direction. Suddenly, Sakura finds herself able to move her body and feet.
Feeling the man's eyes running over her form, Sakura finds it in herself not to fidget and to stand slightly taller. Letting her bronze eyes meet equally unusual golden eyes. Soon the young Haruno is able to notice that the man looks similar to her. They both have pale grey skin, tinted hair (though his is a navy blue), metalic eyes sharp eyes, and both had similar noses.
"You look like me." The young Haruno mumbled quietly, looking at the man with interest. "I've never meet someone who looks like me. My family doesn't even look like me because they say I took after my Haruno Grandparents."
The similar looking man smile softly at the girl, "We do look alike."
"Mister, is your...s-u-m-m-o-n okay?" Sakura asked, sounding out the strange word.
"Hebi-chan is perfectly okay, thank to you." The man looks thoughtfully as the girl, hesitating momentarily he holds out the small snake so the girl could have a better look at it. "Would you like to pet her?"
"I would."
The two stay quiet as Sakura runs her fingers down the beautiful silver snake, making soft cooing sounds at the snake.
"Are you an Academy student, Haruno-chan?"
"I'm suppose to start next year, but no one thinks I should because I look so different." Sakura explains, feeling fresh tears prickle behind her bronze eyes. "My teacher says that only real leaf citizens should go to the academy, and it would be unfair of me to take a spot of someone who really deserves it. So, he said he's pulling my application from the registration pile. Which isn't fair because I-I-I got the highest-t scores in m-y class..."
The pink tinted girl covered her mouth with a hand, starting to hyperventilate slightly near the end of her sentence out of frustration. She is suppose to go to the Academy with her Big Sister and make friends who wouldn't care that she looked weird. All of her grades were perfect, she always tries her hardest, and she is top of her class. It wasn't fair!
"How would you like it if I made sure you were able to go to the Academy?"
"I-I-I can't-t-t ask you t-to do that Stranger-r-san."
"You aren't asking me and think of it as repayment for protecting Hebi-chan. Would you like that?" The man smiled lightly, an unnoticeable look of fondness in his golden eyes. "We 'foreign' looking people need to stick together after all."
"I would-d-d like that-t very m-much Stranger-san-n."
"Orochimaru."
"..."
"My name is Orochimaru-san."
"Oh...My name is Haruno Sakura."
"Nice to meet you, Sakura."
Jiraiya watches his best friend in curiosity as the famous 'Snake Sage' allows a small pink hair civilian child hold one of his smaller summons. Even going as far to allow the child to hold onto his pant leg as they made their ways down the crowded market street. That isn't something you see everyday.
This will be a strong Sakura story, with normal Sakura and Strong! Sakura both being part of it for comparison.