Ahem ... After some complicated and mathematical studies ( not ), I discovered something ...

GaaSaku fans are much nicer and encouraging than SasuSaku fans !!!!! Not to be mean or anything ... Some SasuSaku fans are very encouraging... It's just a smaller number of people !!!!

Anyway ... Do I really have to repeat the disclaimer ? I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters, however normal that may sound ... That doesn't make sense, does it ?

Knocking shattered the quiet morning ... Sakura groaned, and looked at her alarm clock. 5:30 ?! Let me go back to sleep ! The rosette covered her head with the pillow, blocking out all sounds at the ungodly hour. Shacking soon woke her up though.

There stood Ino, already dressed and full of energy. As usual. "Did I forget to tell you breakfast is at 5:45 ?" the blond girl asked innocently in an angelic way.

Sakura groaned again, before throwing her pillow at her. Ino avoided and bounced on her bed. Sakura just lay there, her mind too tired to register anything. " Doesn't lyings exist in this school ? And how did you get in ? I thought I had locked my ... Oh ..." Realization hit her hard. She slumped her head back on the mattress, desperate to forget.

Ino looked at her watch. "You've got ten minutes to get ready. If you're late to breakfast you have to run ten laps under the direction of Gai-sensei. Which, I have to precise, is utter torture." Sakura screamed and jumped out of her warm bed, opening her yet unpacked bag and getting a fresh pair of clothes. Black short skirt, white top and a pair of boots... Better make it simple for my first official day, was her first thought. Five minutes later Sakura Haruno was ready, passing her comb through her long hair.

"You ready ? We'll be there on time if we leave now," the blond asked. Sakura reached for a black ribbon, tying her hair up while leaping out of her room, not bothering to lock her door. Ino sprinted off, Sakura following lead. People looked at them strangely, two girls running to the cafeteria. Didn't they know running with Gai was one of the worst forms of torture ?

In two minutes flat they had arrived at the breakfast room, panting and red-faced. Everything just finished with laughter though. "I think I may have just beaten my record !" Ino breathed.

"Why, you're always late ?" Ino nodded, then pointed to a table where a few people were sitting.

"That's the table were I always eat with my friends. All the girls are there, so I'll introduce you to them." Ino dragged Sakura towards them, pushing past a few people while doing so. Once arrived at the destination, the blond exclaimed, "Hey girls ! This is Sakura. She arrived just yesterday and she'll be staying with us." There were three girls at the table, o which she recognized Tenten and Hinata. The third person she had not already seen was a sandy blond-haired girl, tied up in four pony-tails.

The girl in question smiled and presented herself, "Hi, I'm Sabaku no Temari." Sakura had the impression she had already heard that name. Realization dawned on her.

"Oh ! So ... you're.. um ... related to... Gaara ?" Sakura asked, forcing Gaara's name out. Temari laughed.

"So you've met the psychotic serial-killer ? Yep, he's mine." Soon the other girls presented themselves too. Tenten was dating Neji as told, and her brown hair was tied in two small buns. Hinata looked less red than when Sakura had seen her the first time.

"N-nice t-to meet you S-Sakura-san," Hinata stuttered. Sakura smiled. The girls were friendly, even if Ino was clutching her arm protectively. She sat down, Ino next to her. The five girls talked and laughed for a while before being kicked out by an angry chef.

They walked around the grounds, showing Sakura around. The dojo was behind the dormitories, the training fields one mile off in the woods. There was also a running track and a laboratory. By that time the sun had started to shine through the gray clouds and Sakura smiled when she felt the warmth. It was nearly one o'clock when a young lady came walking up to the rosette.

"Sakura, could you please come to my office ? We have several things that need explain. Oh and by the way my name is Shizune." The pig in her arms squealed.

One hour later Sakura's stomach was growling. She was still in Shizune's office who had just explained the school's history, the numerous awards they had received, and why children were trained so young. She currently explaining missions. "Students here are sometimes called for missions, playing dangerous roles as ones sister or brother, or any other kind of persona. Children are in general more persuasive than adults, and so receive better acceptance. Other people of their age can also be naïve, so when they meet a friend they usually tell them everything.

In your case you will probably start missions as soon as in one week. You started quite late so we're going to enroll you sooner to reduce the difference. I am warning you already that some missions will be very hard, as well mentally as physically. You're gonna go through intensive training, so all I can say in good luck." Shizune turned her back, waving her hand and dismissing Sakura.

Sakura went straight to her room, having to unpack and look at her time-table. She opened the white painted door, looked under the bed before lugging out her heavy bag. The rosette opened it, the first thing catching her eye a necklace holding the yang symbol. She clutched in her hand, making her knuckles grow white.

Her mother was looking at a five-year old Sakura kindly. She was whispering something, she couldn't remember what, except that she was holding a yang symbol in her hand. In the background she could hear her dad yelling and throwing things in the kitchen. But the next sentence her mother uttered was never to be forgotten.

"Even if I'm not around anymore, I'll always be with you. I will keep the other half, the yin, and never forget what you meant to me."

Sakura had not understood those words then. But if only ...

Sakura shook her head, putting those memories at the back of her mind. She was not going to remind herself of the guilt she felt for years or the envy of just wiping herself off the face of the earth. Her father was gone and she had friends now, good friends and a good school ... well, if it could be called a school ... She was sorely reminded her training was beginning the next day. She went to her desk and picked up her time-table.

Her eyes went wide when she saw that there was no normal subject. And she had to learnRussian ?!

6:00 Russian with Shizune (two hour period )

8:00 Explosives training and handling with Deidara

9:00 Equipment management with Jiraya

10:00 Combat skills ( here knife fighting ; two hour period ) with Kurenai

12:00 Intelligence and general knowledge with Kakashi-sensei

1:00 Private swimming lessons with Sabaku no Gaara

1:30 Lunch

2:00 Martial arts ( two hour period ) with Asuma

4:00 PE or intensive sport with Gai-sensei ( two hour period )

6:00 End of lessons, dinner

6:30 Homework time, surveillance by Orochimaru

8:00 Lights out, electricity ends

Sakura reread the time-table to make sure they were being serious. Shizune had said the training was going to be intensive, but six hours of sports a day was maybe overdoing it a bit. She sighed. At least she was going get fit in no time. Her eyes wandered to the line saying private swimming lessons. Did they know ? And why the hell was she doing it with Gaara ! Didn't he have more important things to do ?

The rosette sighed again. She'd better have everything unpacked, it was going to be an hard start tomorrow. Not to mention early. She hung the necklace around her neck, and proceeded to unpack the rather large suitcase. She was not hungry anymore even though she had missed lunch.

Unpacking took a good few hours, and it was six before Ino opened her bedroom door. Sakura looked up, back aching from bending down too much. "Hi ! We were wondering why you didn't come for lunch. Did Shizune really take that much time ?"

"Actually not that much. I just came straight back here to unpack. Are your days always as filled as this ?" Sakura handed her time-table to the blond, hoping for her that wasn't the case.

"Sometimes. Depends which days. So you've got Russian ? I got French. We all get different languages here, to suit what we look like. Temari got Spanish and Tenten's doing Italian. Hinata will be with you, she's doing Russian," Ino replied, handing the piece of paper back to Sakura. "Dinner's gonna be served in a few minutes. Wanna come with us ? Otherwise there's food in your bedroom fridge."

The rosette looked at her fridge then back to Ino. "I think I'll stay in my bedroom for the time being. Get used to stuff." Ino smiled at her and went for the door. She turned her head once she was at the doorway.

"Electricity really does cut off before eight, even if your in the middle of washing your hair. That happened to me once, and from experience do try to not do that. Going to bed with soap still stuck in your hair is not a very nice feeling," Ino finished before closing the door behind her.

Sakura stood there, smile already forming on her lips. She looked out of her window. It was dark, even at this time as clouds gathered in the night. The rosette had always loved nightime. She went to grab a coat in her wardrobe and walked out, this time careful to lock the door.

The night air was fresh, dew was already starting to form on the leaves. There wasn't anybody outside, dinner was ready. She walked straight to the swimming pool, as if called by it. When she finally arrived, the moon could just be seen in between the clouds. She shrugged off her coat, and sat beside the water.

It brought her back many bad memories. Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating on the gentle lapping of the water, and not on those thoughts.

"What are doing here ?" a voice asked her. She turned around, to see no other than Gaara. His features could barely be distinguishable in the darkness, but his eyes shone in the moonlight. She smiled, and turned back around to face the water.

"And why aren't you having dinner with the others ? " Sakura asked, knowing the obvious answer.

Gaara looked at her closely. He could only see the back of her head right now, but he had caught glimpses of her eyes. Emerald, bright and happy, but he could see what they hid. Fear and guilt. " I could ask you the same question," he finally answered.

A long silence followed. Sakura could still feel his presence behind her. She decided to answer his first question. "I'm trying to get used to the water."

"You're afraid of water ?" Gaara mused. Every one was afraid of something but water ? He knew those cases existed, but better be afraid of something else. Most people were afraid of him, and even that was understandable.

"Something like that," Sakura laughed, trying to cheer herself up. Swimming lessons terrified her, as did the usually dark, swirling water.

Gaara understood now why Tsunade had given him the girl. People who had a phobia of something usually did not even want to go near it, but in this case the rosette was trying to get used to it. Patience was not one of Gaara's virtues, and they needed the girl soon. He sighed, walked up to her and sat down, him too facing the water. They sat quietly, side by side, not one uttering a word until the eight o'clock bell rang. Gaara sighed.

"Go to bed. Mornings are harder than you think." Sakura nodded, and left without looking back. It was Gaara, this time who looked at her leaving, wondering what could have caused her fear. It was not one she held since birth, he could sense that. So she probably could swim. What was the problem was getting her into the water.

Tomorrow would be a long day for both of them.