Lucky you, inspiration struck and I cooked up this little baby. Instead of studying. Which means I'm really stupid. Do enjoy the product of my stupidity.

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Sakura had trained a while more, during which the Uchiha clan Head sent her a letter stating he awaited her visit using a messenger hawk. Now that she could read, he had written, he wished her to keep the hawk so they could communicate more frequently. Figuring it would be easier to send word if any Konoha ninja stopped by, she graciously accepted the hawk and named it Konoha. That way, even if she was far from her beloved village, it always was near her. The hawk turned out to be remarkably intelligent and reliant. She took to sending her–apparently, Uchiha Fugaku had thought it a good idea to send her a female–to get her some supplies once in a while. The hawk usually spent her time on the child's shoulder, occasionally pecking her cheek, and basically kept her company when Jiraiya was outside doing whatever it was he did when things got too medical for him.

-:-

"That bird is infernal."

"Suck it up, jiji," replied Sakura, packing a few necessary items into a bag.

The older man crossed his arms, pouting, and wished he could give a dark glare to the bird currently perched atop his head.

"At least it won't come with us all the way back to Konohagakure."

"I would take her," said Sakura, grabbing her money pouch, "but she has to stay here in case somebody comes here for my services. She'll come and get me if it happens so I can go back."

Jiraiya frowned minutely and grabbed her arm, stopping her short in her packing. He turned her forearm up and gently ran the pad of his thumb across her wrist.

"You don't even know if it'll work…As I thought, I should have tested it first…" he said regretfully, regarding the tattoo that adorned her wrist with sad eyes.

"Hey, now, I asked you to do it. And it is my life, isn't it? Besides, this was my idea in the first place. I'd probably have tried it without you, so just take it as a favor you did me and I won't kick your ass too far if you peep on women in front of me. Tattoos have always fascinated me. I used to know a guy who could animate ink and since then, I always thought I should try something, experiment, you know? And then you came by, with your sealing skills and your perverseness, and I finally had time to put on this project of mine…Don't you think it turned out OK? It's almost classy, ne?"

The Sannin sighed. Of course he had done his best, but it was the first time he had tattooed anybody. Disturbingly enough, it seemed like she knew exactly what to do. It was a little disheartening. He had managed not to mess up, and if did say so, his work looked mighty fine. The seal was small, but it was detailed. And complicated. He knew it would be effective, but he would still have preferred to test it beforehand. And it was now a permanent fixture on her tiny body.

"I take full responsibility, so if anything goes wrong, you can blame me all you want, alright?" she said lightly.

An image of her lying deathly still in a hospital bed, her pink hair the only thing differing from the sterile white of the room. He shook his head, feeling singularly cold inside.

"Let's just get going."

"Let's do that."

-:-

"Birght day."

"Get lost, I don't know you."

Jiraiya pouted and trudged behind her as she quickened her pace. A bright handprint showed on his cheek.

"But Sakura-chan, I'm your father!" he whined like a child.

"Not since the first thing you did upon entering Konoha was grabbing a woman's butt. Stop following me."

"Come on, don't be so cold!"

Sakura sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Didn't you have a meeting with the Hokage or something?"

"Aaaaaaah!" cried the white-haired man in horror. "You're right!"

He ran off, leaving a cloud of dust behind and a relieved child with pastel hair.

Now, where was I? she pondered tranquilly, a small smile on her lips. Now she could buy some more medical equipment and maybe some clothes worthy of a kunoichi if she got her mobility back. She liked her kimono, but it was impractical for moving around too much.

She decided to stop by the clothing store first. No use in carrying around medical equipment out into the open when anybody could run into her and jostle the fragile things. After getting directions from a puzzled civilian, she managed to find the store, hoping it would have clothes in her size. Then again, ninja clans tended to make their children wear those to get them used to the feeling and to encourage them to honor the clan. Her hand was on the handle of the door when said door burst open and a small form was thrown at her. She went down with a whoomph and wondered dizzily what had just happened.

"Watch it, teme!" yelled a youthful voice from somewhere above her. Must be from the person who had been thrown out bodily. "One day, you'll beg me to shop at your store, and you'll be very sorry when I don't! 'Cause I'm gonna be Hokage, dattebayo!"

There was no answer and the gathering crowd slowly dispersed. Only then did the person on top of her seem to realize that she was still cushioning them. And it even took her clearing her throat for the child to get off of her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't–huh? Sakura-chan?"

Small hands pulled her up gently if energetically and checked her for injuries, then the youthful voice continued with admiration, "Whoa, you grew up a lot overnight, Sakura-chan!"

Naruto.

"My name is Sakura, but somehow, I doubt I'm the one you're talking about."

"Are you her older sister, then? I thought Sakura-chan was an only child! Or her cousin?"

"Iie," chuckled Sakura at his enthusiasm. "We just happen to share pink hair and unimaginative parents when it comes to naming their children. And you? What's your name?"

"My name's Naruto and I'm gonna be Hokage one day, dattebayo!"

"Then you'll have to work hard, right? To become the best ninja in this village."

Young Naruto's eyes widened and sparkled, not that the older girl could see it. He grinned brilliantly and hugged tightly the first person ever who hadn't laughed at his dream.

"You're great, nee-chan!" he exclaimed happily.

"Not really, I just have the feeling that people's moral standards are not very high. What were you doing before getting thrown out?"

"Ah, I was trying to buy some clothes, but they threw me out. Looks like I'll have to buy my usual jumpsuit. I like orange, but…those jumpsuits are the only clothes I'm able to afford, with all their crazy prices."

"Well, wanna do some shopping with me? If you keep me company until my father comes back, I'll buy you the clothes you want. Deal?"

The bright child whooped and hugged her once more with an exuberant, "Deal!"

Smiling, Sakura entered the clothing store, her smile turning into a smirk when she heard the cashier growl and chirped smugly, "He's with me, and I'm a customer. Unless you want to lose business, I suggest you don't try to kick me out. Oh, and by the way, my father has a meeting with the Hokage right now. You may know him. His name's Jiraiya."

Alright, that was a dirty shot, but if she'd wanted to fight fair and square, she would have become a samurai, not a ninja.

-:-

Uchiha Itachi was sitting on a rooftop across the street. He had a convenient view of the inside of the store and had been observing it for a while now. He had been going home after an intense training session when a spot of bright pink had made him stop short in his tracks. At first, he had thought it was the girl who had a crush on his younger brother, but he had made a double-take when he had noticed the black blindfold. So the doctor was back in town.

Feeling disturbingly like a stalker, he observed her purchase some ninja clothes for her and the brash knucklehead who accompanied her. She ended up buying a short kimono alike her own in coloring, except that one ended at mid-thigh. To preserve her modesty, he surmised, she bought tight short black shorts and a couple of pairs of black Capri pants, probably to be ready for shifts in temperature. In the end, he thought that she had been rather reasonable. The blond kid next to her had been way more enthusiastic than her. He had browsed through the clothes with rare happiness, jumping in joy when his hands touched the fabric freely, without fear that he would be thrown out for doing so. He had been a bit bashful at being treated by a stranger, so he had only asked for a jumpsuit, but a black one. With orange lining. Of course.

As curious as he was, he would be late if he didn't return home soon, so he left as soon as the two children stepped out of the store.

-:-

Ichiraku Ramen. She guessed she had to take the blond there at least one time. It was something of a classic in her team. Well, in the future, that is. And it seemed like Naruto was still just as much of a fan of ramen as in her time.

"You're the best, Sakura-nee-chan!"

"Don't forget to chew, ne?"

The blond smiled brightly and nodded, continuing to gulp down mouthfuls of the hot meal.

"Hmmmm…Ramen is the best food in the world!" exclaimed Naruto contentedly, rubbing his stomach.

"But not the most nutritious. If you want to be Hokage, you'll have to make sure your body doesn't fail you. Especially on the battlefield. You think you can do that without vegetables?"

Naruto made a disgusted face that Sakura could imagine exactly for having seen it times and times again. Fortunately, she didn't have to actually see it.

"But Sakura-nee-chaaaan! Veggies are yucky!"

Sakura mentally rolled her eyes.

"They won't accept that excuse if you make Hokage," she deadpanned.

Naruto winced; she felt bad for him.

"You know why vegetables cost more? Because they're better for your health. You should get used to eating some regularly. For the moment, when you eat ramen, why don't you add some?"

"And that will make me taller?" asked Naruto uncertainly.

"It sure will!" assured Sakura firmly.

"Maybe I'll try it…" muttered Naruto, looking down at his half-full bowl. "But if I don't like it, I ain't eatin' it!"

It was better than she could have expected, so with a shrug, she agreed, "Fair enough. Now take this daikon slice."

That was how Jiraiya found them, less than an hour later. With a last smile and a wave, Sakura said her goodbyes and followed the Sannin out of the restaurant.

"Did you get everything you needed?" he asked, putting her bag on his shoulder.

"Mmhm! That and more," she replied happily. "Everything went well on your side?"

"It did, and it was nice to see Sarutobi-sensei again."

Sakura nodded, humming under her breath. They still had some time before meeting the Uchiha and getting there early would do no good. Busy as they were, they would probably not be available. Knowing how clans were, she thought they would most probably be in a meeting. They had both done everything they had to, now they only had to waste time. And she had an idea about how to do just that.

"Hey, jiji, let's get some drinks."

-:-

In any bar, you expect to see all kinds of more-or-less drunk and sleazy people. Bars are places of predilection for ninja looking for a strong drink to forget, relax, or simply to look inconspicuous on a mission. But despite the rather colorful crowd you can find in a bar, there is one kind you don't often see: children who can drink more than a full-seasoned alcoholic.

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Gah! What the hell am I doing, writing instead of studying? Shit, I must have a death wish or something.