The next day Sakura was back in her usual male attire, she wasn't ready to come out to the class of who she was. She didn't really trust any of them. The only difference was she was with Naruto who smiled to her. She smiled back softly and sat beside him in his seat. People who noticed looked a little surprised but didn't say anything otherwise. The class slowly started to fill everyone sitting in their seats and noticing the two people who never sat together now sitting together.
"Haruno why are you sitting next to deadlast?" Kiba pipped up in curiosity.
He said what everyone was thinking. She cringed at hearing that, anger filled her quickly.
"Because he's my friend you dumb mutt!" She gasped covering her mouth not meaning to say the last part out loud.
A look of surprise crossed the Inuzuka's face before it quickly turned to anger.
"AT LEAST I DON'T SMELL LIKE A DUMB GIRL! MUST OF BEEN PLAYING IN YOUR SISTER'S STUFF YOU GIRLY BOY!"
Her eyes widened and her face went red with embarrassment not knowing what to stay to that. Before she could fully process the situation a cry was heard and Kiba was on the ground holding a bloody nose. Naruto had punched the vulgar boy. He was shaking with uncontrolled rage. Kiba pounced back in his own rage and punched back and then so began the all-out brawl between the two boys, everyone too entertained to break it up except for a select few who looks nervous and afraid for them one of them being Sakura, particularly being afraid for Naruto. And that's how Iruka found his class.
"BREAK IT UP RIGHT NOW! KIBA, NARUTO, I WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH BEHAVIOR."
He peeled them away from each other and glared. They both shrunk back in fear and sadness at the look of anger and disappointment that crossed his usually kind looks.
"You go to the nurse Kiba and you Naruto go back to your seat. After class I will listen to the details, for now, I need Sakura his parents are outside waiting for him." Kiba did as he was told rushing out, Naruto returning to his seat. A cold fear gripped Sakura, she thought she was free after she had run away. The class looked at her as she slowly got up and from her seat taking a deep shaky breath. She followed Iruka out of the classroom as the door closed, immediately following a smack was heard and a small cry. Iruka jumped in surprise his eyes wide in bewilderment. Sakura parents did seem upset but he didn't think much of it. The smaller girl slowly stood from the floor her head down a few drops of blood spilling on the ground. She didn't cry knowing better.
"Our Son has run away from home and as his parents, we are in charge of him and his wellbeing. We were so sick with worried. This academy seems to be turning him into some kind of rebel. If he refuses to come back home we are taking him out of school. We have that right before he graduates. Though that day will never come and I'll be entering him in a civilian school."
Sakura felt cold shock hearing her parents words. She thought she was free from them but she was still chained in the most vicious and inhumane way she could possibly imagine in her mind.
"Mom, Dad...Please no!" They glanced at their son in disdain. They were taking away her new freedom and her dreams. It was slipping from her at the blink an eye. All because she wanted to live like a girl. She felt sick and like throwing up her body shuddering and her mind racing a mile per minute. Would she never see Naruto again? She waited so long to meet him and be his friend. She watched him so long and they finally could be best friends and he was being taken from her too soon. The sadness weighed at her chest and she couldn't stop the short sob that escaped her lips. She wanted to run back into that classroom and hold onto him and not let go but she knew it was a lost cause. She would be dragged out and fully embarrassed in front of her classmates. Her parents could care less about her comfort before. Hence why she was in this situation. Why would they start now?
Meanwhile due to the doors being thin everything was heard within the classroom and soft murmurs started to go around reaching Naruto ears making him bow his head in sadness, his fist clenched in anger knowing the full truth.
"Heard that Haruno won't be able to be a Ninja anymore he gotta be a civilian," someone said.
Naruto didn't know what he could do to save her. Her parents hated him as much as everyone else in the village so showing up and demanding they return her to school wasn't going to work. He let out an almost audible sigh and put his head down hoping for the day to end already. He just wanted to be alone for the first time. He finally made a friend and he was losing her already.
Sakura was sobbing as her parents dragged her out the school building ignoring Irukas plea to work things out.
"You are going to be put in a civilian school and we can watch over you until you're 18. Now be a good son and come on home."
In the world of Ninja once you were genin you were officially seen as an adult, however, before that you were still a child and under your parent's jurisdiction. She wanted to use the Kawarimi no Jutsu to escape but she didn't want to make things worse. After they were home she ran up to her room and closed the door unable to keep herself from falling apart into a pathetic heap at lost at what to do, her eyes closed as exhaustion took her she just didn't want to think anymore and allowed sleep to take her.
The bell rang and a rebellious teen wasted time outside squatting, a cigarette in his hand, he pushed his short bangs backward against his head a scowl on his lips. A few students running late glanced at the mysterious male that barely spoke a word and always slacked off. He was very popular among the girls and some guys. As the ashes fell from his cigarette he took one last drag and put it out before slowly standing and going to his class, opening the sliding door.
"Late again"
He made his way to the back cooly and sat down putting his feet up ignoring the teacher, that called him out for being late. The girls squealed softly at their crush finding him to be both attractive and dangerous. The teacher sighed in annoyance. Despite his lackluster behavior he got perfect grades.
"Haruno...please try to come to class on time.." He knew it was lost words but he still said it regardless every time.
And every time he received no response just a shrug of shoulders. The class flew by for Sakura he finally accepted his role that was forced to play, he still hated it but he buried it deep down inside the day his hopes and dreams were taken from him. It's been 3 years since that day and he tried his best to forget and continue with his civilian dull life.
"Haruno-san!" yelled a voice he recognized and he twitched in annoyance. It was his so-called self-proclaimed friend Yoshi.
He was loud and always happy and never got the hint. He kept him around solely because he reminded him of someone dear to him he never got to see anymore. Sakura opened his locker and a pile of letters flew out. Yoshi whistled.
"Popular as always! I'm so jealous! You barely talk to anyone and your locker is full of gorgeous ladies willing to get into your pants."
Sakura ignored him kicking the letters out of his way and grabbed his outdoor shoes.
"Ahhhhhh Stop stop those are people feelings you're kicking away!"
Sakura shrugged.
"You can have them."
With that said he put on his shoes and exited the school building with Yoshi trailing hurriedly behind him. He reached into the inside of his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, sliding one out the pack he flicked his finger and light it. A simple fire Jutsu trick he learned. He may have no longer been allowed to go to the Academy but he still practiced in his spare time in secret and trained he didn't want to lose his ability to use chakra. Taking a deep drag he relaxed and leisurely strolled his hands shoved into his uniform pants pockets.
"HARUNO-SAN WATCH OUT!"
It was too late for him to notice and before he knew it was on the ground with something heavy on him. He opened his eyes to a pair of big beautiful eyes staring down at him. Those eyes, those whisker marks he'd never forget them.
"Naruto?" he said almost foreign his mind trying to process what was happening and if he entered some genjutsu without realizing. Naruto looked confused before recognition filled those blue depths.
"S-Sakura!?" he shouted.
"Sakura..." He whispered softly and pulled him into a hug unable to do anything else both.
Sakura wanted to cry and laugh all at the same time as new emotions flooded his body. He hugged back forgetting where he was until a voice brought him back.
"Uh. Haruno-san are you friends with this Ninja?"
Sakura suddenly found himself blushing at his predicament all eyes on them. He shoved Naruto off of him not meaning to be rude and suddenly stood up dusting his clothes off. Naruto stumbled back slightly surprised but realizing the situation a slight sharpness registering before it disappeared and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Sorry Yoshi I"ll catch you later," he said uncharacteristically in a rush and before Naruto knew he was being dragged away off somewhere. Yoshi looked utterly confused and waved to nothing. "Okay..."