Yukihana
(Snow Flower)

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

Summary: After Sakura's mission goes haywire her world is thrown into darkness. She is labeled MIA, years later they believe they've found her. A changed person and stronger than anyone could have predicted. But why is she claiming to not know her former allies?


Chapter One: News

(Set around the time that Naruto has come back from his training with Jiraiya)

The room was dark. Sakura could barely make out the outlines of the sparse furniture littering it.

This was a place she knew well, it was her house. The heating and lighting had been shut off days earlier before she got back from her mission. The house was empty save for herself. She could smell the scent of death, one common for her. She was medic-nin and a kunoichi, she knew it like the back of her hand. Never had she ever wanted to associate it with her home or contemplate it grasping someone close to her. Death was everywhere, everyone who was alive would die one day. Including herself, including someone she knew. It just happened to be the latter.

Every step up the stairs was ear-splitting. Each screech, groan and creek under her weight seemed louder than ever. Her room was bare. She separated the worn pink curtain than hung limply over her window. The moonlight was a welcoming sight to her strained eyes. She turned to leave. Stilling lightly she saw a box in the corner. It looked like someone had just thrown the contents into it, it wasn't even sealed. Picture frames, albums, drawings, and various other items. Peering into the box she took one out, a photograph, and looked over it. Her mother and father. Her mother's muted peach coloured hair and eyes the colour of clear honey were on her father. His hair was jet black and he had bottle green eyes, more striking than Sakura's jade ones. They looked around twenty. It was probably taken just weeks before he passed away. She placed it back down, shut the box and took it away with her.

The civilian bankers wouldn't get any money for it, besides they already had her entire inheritance, she wasn't going to let them have her memories. Her mother had left this world in a deep state of debt, one that Sakura didn't know she was in.

She left for a mission and was called back early. Her mother had died and everything in her name was taken.

Sakura hadn't broken down and cried, she hadn't cried at all, she couldn't. She felt nothing, she was numb. She had supported her even when she wanted to be a kunoichi and never let onto any money problems. She felt bad that she felt nothing and felt even worse when the slight feeling of relief edged onto her.

Her mother had been slowly dieing from a heart defect and had lived much longer than predicted.

Sakura shut the red painted door for the last time, locking it and placing the keys under the mat.

It was dark out and the night air was frigid. Her goosebumps increased more than when she was in the house. Bright lights of pubs and restaurants polluted the darkness. Drunken singing, up beat music and laughing could be heard from different venues. A few people glanced at the large box she was carrying. Time didn't stop, someone had died a few days ago and the world just carried on like nothing had happened.

Looking up she squinted her eyes to look at the neon lights shaped into letters 'Half Moon Hotel'. She really needed some sleep she thought as her vision hazed over slightly. She would find a apartment in the morning and start taking on more missions. And get on with her life.


Weeks went by and Sakura was still stuck in the 'Half Moon Hotel' Sakura would only stay within the village for two days maximum, each day eyeing the roster board for new and more challenging missions. It took her mind off things and kept her going.

Any mission she could get she would take, each one with more risks. It was exciting and it took her away from the dreary feeling she had in Konoha.

Thinking back to that day shortly after her mothers death, Sakura couldn't help but feel somewhat... cheated.

Withholding information about an enemy shinobi is an act of betrayal. To Sakura this was something her mother had done, and for many years. Betraying her by not telling her something. It wasn't as severe as information about enemy's, but still it was something Sakura had always wondered about, and to realize years later she had been lied to, was a big deal to her. She couldn't help but feel betrayed. She had asked her mother many times, and her mother had always replied in her quiet voice, that 'no, sadly we do not have any' and would give her that sad, bitter smile.

The betrayal -and in a way the blessing- had been delivered in the form of a letter by Kakashi.

A big plume of smoke appeared out of nowhere right in front of her. She was on her way to check the roster board and then go to Ichiraku with Naruto. It startled her and she jumped back a few feet. Stifling the urge to reach for a kunai she walked forward.

"Yo" the smoke cleared leaving behind a familiar jounin, seemingly very engrossed in his book. Sakura knew him well enough that despite him being absorbed in his book, he was well aware of his surroundings.
A vain in Sakura's head ticked as she looked at the Cyclops and noted that he was still just standing there not uttering a word as he read his book.

A woman and her child walked past, then the child walked up to Kakashi, pointed at him and said "Hey mum, what's that orange booook! Can I have it?"
The woman's mouth instantly dropped open at her sons outburst as she looked at the small pocket book in question."Ping get back here, and stay away from that disgusting man!" she bit out at her child. Tugging him down the street by the hand.

"Kakashi sensei, what have I told you about reading those dirty books in public! And would you not just randomly poof in front of people!" Sakura seethed while glowering at him.

Slowly he took his eyes off his book and placed it in his pocket. Kakashi's only visible eye crinkled up, the only indication to show he was smiling."I thought It would cheer you up to see your old sensei, but I can see I'm not wanted" Kakashi turned around to walk away, Sakura called out to him to wait and he halted mid stride.

"I'm just stressed" She turned her head to her feet, looking sullen.

"You've had a tough few days" He lifted his hand onto her shoulder and patted it awkwardly. Her thoughts turned to her mother and her heart gave a sharp pang of longing. After a moment of tense silence Kakashi moved his hand to his side.

"Sorry"

Sakura's eyes widened, she didn't know if he was sorry for poofing up in front of her, reading dirty books in public, or saying sorry about the death of her mother.

Kakashi reached down to his trouser pocket and supplied her with a marked envelope. In twisting cursive writing it read – To Sakura, to be opened upon my passing.

Her hand went clammy and she could hear the thumping of blood rush through her head. A letter from her mother. Just for her. She went to shred it open with the eagerness of a staved dog to a piece of meat. When she remembered Kakashi. but when she looked up he was gone. He must have seen the intense look on her face and left her to her own devices. Or more likely just left since he had delivered the envelope.

That exact letter was kept close to her heart, literally. She had kept it in the inside pocket of her vest since that day. She guessed Kakashi had read it, if he told it's contents to anyone and they asked her for it, she could just say she had lost it and they wouldn't find it.


Sakura woke up to the sounds of knocks at her door. The sun was just creeping up over the horizon in an eerie pink glow. She took a big inhale, taking in the unusual scents of her bed and room, -a sickeningly sweet vanilla smell- and choked slightly.

She scrunched her eyes shut and stretched herself out until the knock sounded again. Grudgingly she flipped the cover off. Sakura opened the tacky white door to see the chuunin there, he was one of the many chuunin's that she'd seen around the hokage tower doing mundane jobs. Brown hair, brown eyes and a runny nose.

"Haruno Sakura?" he muttered out as he wiped his nose clean with his sleeve.

"That's me"

"Tsunade-sama wishes to see you" he sniffled

"Ok, thanks" with a thoughtful look on her face she nodded to him.

He returned the gesture then puffed out of existence.


"You want me to what?" Sakura's mouth was agape as Tsunade slanted her a look.

"I want you to be able to summon Katsuyu within two months" She folded her arms over her chest and turned to face her student. "Is that clear?"

"But shishou (master/teacher), I don't have nearly enough chakra to summon her!" She said a little bit louder than necessary. She was wondering what brought this up, why would Tsunade want her to learn this now?

"You underestimate yourself Sakura, summoning is easy if you have the right amount of chakra and control. We just need to get your reserves up" Tsunade scanned her over "Shizune will be training you, if this goes smoothly then I'll teach you the Creation Rebirth jutsu" She smirked at her shocked student.

"Chop chop, training ground seven. Shizune is waiting"

"Hai (yes) shishou!" Sakura bowed deeply in an instant, to show respect but mostly so she could hide the look on her face. Then slipped out the door.

Score! Inner Sakura mentally paraded around in her head. She had enough money stored up to stop doing missions for a while and train. She would be learning how to summon, finally. Just like Naruto and the legendary Sannin and... Sasuke. She could even learn Creation Rebirth if Tsunade let her, she didn't want a diamond on her forehead in plain view, but the pros out weighed the cons tenfold. Cha! She would learn how to summon and get that Creation Rebirth even if it was the last thing she did.