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Disclaimer: When pigs fly my friend, when pigs fly.

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Five years ago, if you had asked anyone from Konoha who would be the Sixth Hokage, they would have grinned and replied, Uzumaki Naruto.

No one would ever have said, Haruno Sakura.

Of course, then, people of Konoha have a very mixed-up perception of the legendary Team 7. The Sixth knew this, but she never bothered correcting them. Better to leave them with their wild rumors of romanticism and glory then the crimson stained truth.

"The first was Uchiha Sasuke—and he was the greatest of the three!" The children would gossip. "He was handsome and strong and ever so cool. But he had an important mission to avenge his clan and had to leave Konoha one day to train." The pink-haired Hokage always smiled softly when she heard this. Funny how even after his death, the prodigy managed such a following. She supposed that if she corrected them with his betrayal they'd be less inclined to fight over who got to play his role. But they were kids, and they deserved to be happy. And despite everything that happened, perhaps the cold-hearted nin deserved to be remembered as someone like that.

"Then came Uzumaki Naruto, he was the prankster!" Some other kids would laugh. "He always smiled and never cried, but he was never as strong as Sasuke. One day he left Konoha after training to find his rival and prove he was better." Whenever the green-eyed medic listened to this she would frown. If Naruto was so weak then why was he the one to rid Konoha of its greatest threat? If he felt less that Sasuke, then why was the raven-haired Uchiha the one who ran away in search of power? The sad fact was that the Kyuubi was the strongest member of Team 7. If not physically, then emotionally. He was loyal to a fault and never failed a promise, save one.

"Last, there was Haruno Sakura. She was so beautiful that all the other ninja wouldn't fight her." Little ones would sigh. "Instead they would try and please her. And she could save anyone with her healing powers." The kunoichi never stopped wincing when she overheard these remarks. So beautiful—please! The girl couldn't even get the boy she doted upon hand and foot. And it always seemed that the shinobi she was traveling with got hurt because of her. Maybe ninja didn't fight her, but they certainly fought over her. Tsunade had taught her medical justsu, and she was good. But not perfect. After all, what does power mean if you can't save the ones you love?

It was a strange day then, when the Sixth stumbled upon a group of children she recognized playing behind the Academy. The cute little brunette with pigtails and wide blue eyes was undoubtedly Ino and Shikamaru's, while the tawny-haired boy waving a kunai was Tenten and Neji's; and the chubby little red-head was Chouji and... whatever his wife's name was.

"Don't worry Sakura, I'll protect you!" Kenji exclaimed, leaping as well as his bulk would allow in front of the girl.

Aki didn't make a sound as he stepped in front of her too, his white eyes looking haughty.

"Naruto...Sasuke..." Aya muttered, looking gratefully at the two boys in front of her.

It was then that what the two boys were fighting came into view. Despite the innocence of a garden snake, it made the Hokage's heart clench.

"Die Orochimaru!" Naruto charged at the snake, only to stumble over his own legs and trip.

"Hm, I got it idiot!" Sasuke exclaimed, darting forward to jab his kunai at the snake which barely evaded.

Sakura stayed behind, looking worried at her two friends.

"Not if I help it!" Naruto yelled, charging forward again.

This time the snake wheeled around and used its tail to thwack the kid to the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried, running to catch the boy as he fell down.

Sasuke kept fighting the snake with his knife. He managed to strike at its side and the creature became frightened enough to bite. Two fangs sunk down on the boy's arm. He groaned and knelled on the ground, holding the wound as the garden snake slithered off.

The woman watching almost stepped forward, but for some reason her eyes were unable to train away from the spectacle before her. Besides, most of it was acting. A garden snake can only do so much damage.

"Sasuke are you alright?" Sakura dropped Naruto and ran toward her other teammate.

"I must follow Orochimaru for power to avenge my family." Sasuke muttered, standing up to walk away.

"No, I love you! Please don't go!" Sakura clung to him with fake tears in her eyes.

"I don't care." Little Sasuke replied, smacking her head.

The other Sakura slumped to the ground where the non-orphan Uzumaki came to her. "What happened?"

The brown-haired Sakura clung to him. "Please Naruto... save Sasuke!"

Naruto frowned a little. "I love you Sakura, but I'll save Sasuke; after all he's my best friend too."

Sakura nodded and tottered off. "I'll go train with Tsunade so I can get strong and help them."

Naruto chased after Sasuke who had again cornered the poor snake.

"Go away, I need power." The non-avenger Sasuke stated.

"No, I'll bring you back because I promised Sakura." Naruto replied, charging.

A short tussle commenced of the two boys, with which Sakura rose and ran after the animal which again had attempted to flee. Naruto soon got up and walked back to his female friend.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but I failed."

She smiled sadly at him. "It's okay. I'll get big and strong to help you."

He winked. "Yeah, and don't forget that I'll become Hokage some day."

Now came the second part of the act—the one that made the medical kunoichi not far away draw in a shaky breath and clench her first beside her heart.

Sasuke faced Naruto.

"Orochimaru get out of his body!" The red-haired boy yelled angrily.

The brunette traitor shook his head, smiling. "Sasuke isn't here anymore."

The boys tussled again, while little Sakura waited for a moment before darting in to separate them.

"Stop it!" She cried out, coming between them.

Unfortunately, the two nin couldn't stop the powerful assaults of Chidori and Rasengan. Two fists tore up her flesh (while in reality, the boys tapped their female playmate) and she fell limp.

The former opponents were silent, wide-eyed for a moment.

"Sakura... Sakura!" Naruto cried out, cradling his teammate in his lap.

"Curse you Orochimaru—I'll kill you for that whether or not you do have Sasuke's body!" That was most certainly not the wording the real Kyuubi had used.

But the prodigy seemed to be himself again. "Did we kill her?" There was fear in his voice, disbelief perhaps.

The wannabe Hokage looked up with teary eyes at his best friend. "Why did you have to come back now? She's the one who wanted you to come home! She loved you!"

The Uchiha stayed quiet for a long moment. Then he drew out his katana. "I loved her to." The katana was nothing more than a twig the little boy poked himself with.

The other boy watched in double-shock as his other teammate killed himself, smirking one last time at the statement. Naruto couldn't move from the blue-eyed girl's body. Instead, he shut his eyes and picked up a kunai knife.

"I wanted to be Hokage... but those who leave their friends behind are worse then scum. And I may be a lot of things, but I'm not that bad." The boy slid the kunai's dull slid along his wrist, pretending to die.

The girl stayed down a little longer before getting up, eyes going wide at the sight of her love and brother.

Before Sakura could stop herself, she was in the middle of the game.

"What are you kids doing? A storm is coming so you all had better get inside." Her soft voice was chiding... calm, somehow.

The three children of her friends shuffled with some level of shame, except for the Hyuuga, of course, who merely nodded before turning tail to obey her command.

The Sixth was left standing out in the rain, glad she had an excuse for her tears.

Ino... Neji... Chouji... Shikamaru... Tenten... what have you been telling your kids?

But even as the thought came to mind, the cherry blossom fingered the necklace she wore—a single blue jem.

I'm going to be Hokage some day!

I do love her.

"You two left me... and now all I can do is live your dreams."

Wait for me though... I'll come see you soon.

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