Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

- Steve Jobs

Changes. There were many changes that had occurred after three weeks into the Academy.

I slowly began to realize I was the weak link of the class.

Sure, I aced every single test given to me, but physically I was graded poorly every time we did some sort of exercise. I noticed with some jealously many of the clan kids had received training from their clans and most had prior knowledge on the subjects we learned.

I was tired.

Mother and father noticed the bags under my eyes and the bruises lining my body. They had scolded me for not letting them know I was exhausted and worn out. They wanted me to leave the Academy.

No matter how much it wore me out physically and mentally, I loved the Academy.

It made me feel like I was important. Like I could be something special. Not just an average civilian girl.

My parents couldn't understand that of course. They were seriously considering dropping me out. I wasn't sure of how to convince to them to not do so.

I sighed and patted the cool grass under me, watching the sun slowly rise and wake up the rest of the world. The training grounds were empty and I basked in the feeling of quiet, trying to push my problems in the back of my mind.

Closing my eyes, I didn't sense the feeling of someone entering the clearing.

"Kid."

I blinked and rose my head to face the odd shinobi I had met days ago. He was towering over me and was wearing some sort of uniform that didn't look familiar to me. Only one of his eyes were visible like last time, the onyx color blank and empty.

"Yeah, shinobi-san?"

He sighed. "Leave the training grounds. I need to train and you'll be in the way."

"No I won't. Plus, I was already training here," I answered with raised brows.

I knew I shouldn't disrespect an elder like that, but Inner always helpfully supplied a good dose of snark in my responses.

The shinobi just shrugged. "Suit yourself." He walked off to the end of the grounds, taking kunai out of his holster already.

I watched with bright eyes as the strange ninja began aiming at a post that was a good distance away from him. In a swift motion, his kunai left his fingers and landed dead center into the post. His gloved hands flicked out more and more until all of them were stuck in the wooden post.

I stood up and patted the sole kunai in my pouch. In truth, I wasn't supposed to even be in possession of one, but training grounds were littered with them.

Walking up to a dead tree with a target on them, I tried copying the guy and sent my kunai hurling.

It landed in a nearby bush with a thud.

So much for hoping for natural ability.

I sighed and scurried to pick up my slightly dull kunai and came back to the tree to find the one eyed ninja standing there.

"Shinobi-san?" I blubbered uncertainly.

He stared at me with an unreadable expression. "Why are you training to become a shinobi?"

I didn't falter at his question. "To protect kaa-san and tou-san and all the people I love."

"Did you listen to what I had told you?"

I nodded.

The silver haired ninja muttered some curses that I had only heard on tv and slapped his hand to his forehead, mumbling something about "weird pink haired brats these days."

"Shinobi-san?"

He looked at me.

"What's your name?" I asked shyly.

"Hatake Kakashi."

I looked up at the mention of that name. Hatake Kakashi was a name everyone seemed to know, civilian or not. My lips twitched to smile and I regarded him with amused eyes. "Well, Kakashi-san, I think I'm counting you as my first friend!"

He blinked.

Kakashi was not that happy about our proclaimed friendship and had immediately tried to run away before I latched onto his leg like a leech. He had tried kicking me off, but it didn't work.

Only when I persuaded him into buying me mochi did I let him go. Inner Sakura was practically cackling inside of our/my head and I couldn't help giggle a bit. Who knew even powerful shinobi could be socially awkward dorks.

"Okay, kid you have your treat. Leave me alone now please," Kakashi grumbled, sitting on the bench outside the shop where he bought the mochi.

"My name isn't 'kid'. It's Haruno Sakura."

"Well can you please leave me alone, Sakura?" he asked impatiently.

I thought about it. "Nah."

Kakashi groaned.

"You're the only friend I have right now. The kids at the academy think I'm weak because I'm a silly civvie with pink hair. That makes no sense! It's just my genes! If anything, those clan kids with pupil-less eyes, markings and funny dojutsus are the weird ones!" I ranted, unknowingly leaning on Kakashi, content to share my thoughts to someone who wasn't an immature, drooling little kid.

"You sure you have no friends to run off to and play with your dolls or whatever kids your age are supposed to?"

I shook my head.

"Do you even know who I am?" Kakashi asked with narrowed eyes.

Of course I knew. He was the legendary copy-nin, having a sharingan even though he wasn't an Uchiha. An A-rank ninja in his own right.

"Yes."

"And yet you still want to vent your problems to me and force me to buy you mochi?"

"Sounds about right."

"Why?"

I tapped my chin in thinking. "Because you're someone with knowledge and you seem respectable enough."

He sighed and I continued babbling about my thoughts.

I encountered Kakashi many days after that, as I made it the habit of going to the training grounds everyday. He would train until his body looked ready to collapse and I would mimic his movements until he got annoyed and corrected my sluggish acts. Then, after I was pink faced and sweating, he would buy me mochi or some other sweet and I would tell him about my day.

It was a mutual companionship—at least I thought so—that involved one being benefited and the other unharmed.

I was walking lazily, my hands stuffed in my pockets and the bright sun lathering me in warmth. The sky was perfectly blue and there was a slight breeze that dried any sweat that may have been lingering on my forehead.

Two shadows appeared next to me, one being very skinny and the other plump. I turned around to find two clan kids who were in my class. One was a Nara by the way he seemed to linger in the shadows and the other was an Akimichi by the clan tattoos on his cheeks.

They noticed me and I smiled awkwardly. "Uh, hey... you're Shikamaru and Chouji right?" Inner Sakura was sighing at my lackluster greeting, but I just shrugged her off. Kakashi was rubbing off on me.

The Nara boy regarded me with sharp eyes and Chouji smiled politely.

"Yeah...I'm Shikamaru and he's Choiji. You're...Sakura?" he said lazily.

I nodded a little timidly, not really comfortable with new people. People my own age were the hardest people to talk to. Kakashi had been easy since he really wasn't confined to social norms and such. I didn't really know what to expect from the two in front of me. Shikamaru looked bored out of his mind, his eyes barely open and Chouji was staring at me with mild curiosity. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it when I realized I had absolutely no idea what to say.

Shikamaru sighed once before speaking. "Sakura, you want to hang out with us?"

I almost tripped over nothing when he said that. He knew that I had been struggling to say something. For him to even notice...that was oddly observant and perceptive of him.

"Sure," I smiled brightly, walking next to them with a slight bounce in my step.

Shikamaru and Chouji weren't all that bad. I appreciated Shikamaru's intelligence and Chouji's kindesss. In turn, they appreciated my honesty and open mind.

We were at Shikamaru's house, laying on the cool grass in his backyard, talking about random topics and sharing a bag of chips. We took turns passing the bag around, munching happily and letting the sun lather us in warmth.

"Do either of you ever think of why you want to be a shinobi?" I asked distantly, green eyes clouded.

Shikamaru glanced at me. "Sometimes. It doesn't really matter why since we always knew we would be ninja since the day we were born."

Choji munched in agreement.

"But if you had a choice, would you have picked this way?"

Both boys grew quiet.

"I mean if you could be anything else in the world— a doctor, lawyer, merchant— would you still choose the path of a shinobi?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "You sure do ask lots of questions, Sakura."

I didn't bring up that topic again.

Later that week, I had been running late to the Academy, having to sprint the whole way there and when I entered the classroom, there was only one seat left. It was right next to Uzumaki Naruto.

Now, I had no issue with the blond boy unlike other people who bullied him for no reason, which was against my moral code, but I did have to agree that the boy seemed a little obnoxious and loud.

No matter. I'll just have to suck up my feelings and treat him like anyone else. It was only fair.

Taking a seat right by the orange clad boy, I could hear gossip starting up and I hadn't even said a word to Naruto yet. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the common sense that everyone seemed to lack.

"Um. Hi. I'm Sakura. You're Naruto right?" I introduced a little shakily, trying to block out the harsh words I could hear directed at me.

The boy glanced at me with questioning eyes, his shoulders slumped timidly.

"U-Um yeah! I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said with nervous energy still looking at me with curiosity.

He's just like I used to be, I noted with a sad smile.

No matter. I don't care what people think of him.

"So Naruto, what do you like doing for fun?"

A grin bloomed on the blondes features and I matched him with a lopsided one of my own.

Maybe he wasn't so bad.

I had formed a strange sort of pact with Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto. The former two didn't mind Naruto's exuberant presence and thus we all formed and unlikely bond. We shared our lunches under the large Hashirama trees, pointing at the clouds with smiles and helping each other out whether it be in homework or the katas we were taught.

I became a frequent visitor to the Nara household and I remember how surprised Shikamaru's mother had been when he brought someone home other than Choji.

She had picked me up and squeezed me so hard I had to get Shikamaru to haul her off me lest I start suffocating.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear! I'm just so happy that Shika brought someone home," she explained sheepishly.

I looked at Shikamaru and grinned. He groaned at his mother's antics.

"Don't worry Nara-san, I'll make sure to get Shikamaru-kun more socially involved," I promised with a smirk.

"How troublesome," the younger Nara sighed.

After dodging more of Shikamaru's moms questions, we went up to his room upstairs to hang out until dinner.

"Shogi?"

I rolled my eyes at his frequent desire to play the game and complied since Choji was at home for his mothers birthday. He usually would get bored of watching us play and fall asleep.

Grabbing the board from his bookshelf, we each helped in setting the pieces down.

After they were set we began the long, headache inducing game of shogi. At least, that's how it was for me. I could give Shikamaru a run for his money in the game, but at the expense of a very, very frustrated brain.

Piece after piece, the game went along the only sound in the room the soft pa-chink the pieces made.

We played slow in the beginning, skirting around each other, but soon I was close to throwing the board away in frustration. We were at a stalemate and I worked hard to find a way to force him back.

After much thinking, I concluded Shikamaru as the winner and resigned to defeat. He beat me with a move a second later.

I huffed, pouting a little childishly. "Don't let this get to your head. Next time I'll win!" I declared with puffed out cheeks. I hated losing.

Shikamaru smirked, pleased at seeing my ruffled appearance. I rarely got annoyed and it was a nice sight to see for him.

I was in the training grounds, alone for once and I was reading a thick book on chakra control. Gradually with the help of Kakashi and my friends, I was now in the middle ranking for physical work rather than the dead last title I used to wear. I was proud and relieved I'd be able to continue my ninja studies.

After constructing a regime for physical exercise, I decided to brush up my knowledge, focusing on chakra and mediation.

My first attempt at the leaf exercise was surprising to say the least.

Tentavily, I had searched for my chakra, gathered it from the pool of my stomach and directed it to my forehead. It was soothing and I was startled at how natural it felt, the coolness of it feeling like a soft blanket rather than being prickly and foreign.

When the leaf stayed, I had grinned like a madman, excited at my results.

'Perfect chakra control? Hell yeah!' Inner cheered, whooping loudly inside my/our head.

I had to agree with her, perfect chakra control was extremely rare and something to be cherished. It made my feel immensely better about my small reserves and I had gleefully rubbed it in Kakashi's face, him simply rolling his eyes and ruffling my hair.

Happiness always comes to an end. Sometimes in more disturbing ways than others.

[AN]: I am very pleased with this chapter. I had been procrastinating a bit this week due to unwelcomed events that through me for a bit of a loop. If you saw the quote in the beginning of the chapter just know I will begin adding them to each chapter now. They usually have a meaning that will be talked about later on. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think! Also, that last sentence...how vague...I wonder what it meant...? ;)

No, seriously, strap yourself in for a wild ride.