During the mission to Wave, Sakura realises that she has to become a better ninja for her teammates' sake and be someone they can depend on. She vows to take her training seriously, and receives help from the most unlikely of sources; Genma Shiranui. The two form an unlikely bond and stick together through thick and thin, while Sakura improves and meets other people along the way.

Haruno Sakura used to think the eyes were the windows to the soul, but after witnessing the horrors of the Sharingan firsthand, she's convinced they are the doors. ItaSaku. Nonmass. Rated T (subject to change)

The first time he saw her, he was nine and she was five. The first time he talked to her, she was twelve and he was seventeen. The first time he took real note of her, she was fifteen and he was nineteen. Little did he know that such inconsequential meetings would change everything he thought, felt, and did. ItachiXSakura. AU Non-Massacre. 50 shinobi theme #40. Heartstrings.