The First Signs

My summary was rather long and didn't fit on the screen. To fix that, I'm putting the full summary inside right HERE. Until I figure out how to go back and edit chapter one, the summary is in chapter 2!

"Ever wonder who her parents were? Sakura has a secret, and no one can ever be allowed to know. That means she had to be exactly like everyone else, from a crush on Sasuke to low stamina. For fifteen years, she kept it up, kept everybody fooled. But everyone slips eventually, and this slip could cost her a life…

Drama, romance if I feel like it (which I probably will), humor."

Note for Chapter 2: Sasuke fans will all hate me after this...

Disclaimer-ish-thing:
The nice people in white coats are trying to find me. We're playing hide-and-seek. I'm hiding, they're seeking….and I'm winning…for now….-darts glances around the room- Shh….I was never here…..and if I'm not here than obviously I own nothing but my insanity….which in fact owns me.

Ino yelled "Alright! Whoever did that, teach me later!" She was laughing so hard she nearly fell over.

She had reason to. Few people had ever seen Uchiha Sasuke run around like a terrified hen, screaming for someone to save him.

Chasing him in steady, determined hops was...dun dun DUN...a pink bunny.

Hinata and Sakura were having trouble breathing. Hinata's quiet, pretty tee-hees could be heard over Sakura's open laughter.

"That was a 'worst fear' jutsu combined with a humiliation-seal...I figured it out myself when I was looking at those scrolls last night" laughed Sakura, turning away so Sasuke wouldn't know it had been her. "Apparently his most embarrasing, worst fear is pink bunnies" She smirked at the thought that she had pretended to be obsessed with a boy whose worst fear was a pink rabbit. At least his going away had given her an excuse to "get over" him.

HELL YEAH! agreed Inner Sakura, watching the pink bunnies with sadistic maniacal laughter.

"Served him right," said Hinata through giggles. "He was picking on Naruto-kun."

Sakura glanced over at her. "Hinata-chan" she asked innocently"You don't still like Naruto, do you"

Hinata turned pink and bowed her head, poking her fingers together and mumbling denials.

Sakura let up. "Don't worry, I won't tell" she promised, although she knew that anyone who saw Hinata would have to be a total idiot of they didn't notice her crush on the loud blonde. Which was probably why Naruto himself hadn't figured it out yet.

Hinata glanced at her watch. "If we hurry, we can get home before Neji-nii-san and train before he arrives. Maybe you two won't have to meet."

"Good idea" said Sakura. "Race you." They took off running, leaving behind a very confused Naruto, a hysterically laughing Ino, a sweatdropping Shikamaru, and an embarrased Sasuke (still running for his life, pursued by many fangirls and the incessant pink bunny).

Long story short (since I'm too lazy to describe it and the people in white coats will be chasing me soon) Sakura nearly won and was in fact almost ten feet ahead, but she stumbled suddenly and fell in a superman-dive into the dirt, face first, all at once aquiring several scratches, scuff marks, and a new appreciation for softer grass.

She didn't get up right away. She was so tired...she was always tired now. Ugh...sleeping with one eye open sucks. Her body was telling her quite firmly that lying on the hard dirt was much better than running over it. She sighed and held still for a few seconds, enjoying the brief rest even if it did hurt.

Hinata didn't notice immediately. When she did, she stopped and ran back to Sakura's side, calling"Sakura-chan" worriedly, concerned that her friend wasn't moving.

"'M okay" mumbled Sakura. "Just tripped, that's all. Gimme a second." She pushed herself up and sat, rubbing the dirt off her face. "Ow." She stood up shakily, trying to hide her weakness from Hinata. The last thing she needed was someone to be worried about her; worried people asked questions.

Luckily for Sakura, Hinata was just as trusting as she was five years ago and took her at her word. "Okay, Sakura-chan. Father closed the regular dojo today-something about painting. We'll use the outdoor training grounds, the one with the garden."

(A/N: Does the manga ever show the inside of the Hyuuga property? I'm just making this up as I go)

"Sure" said Sakura absently. She followed Hinata inside, not really paying attention anymore. She was thinking of her home, whether she had put all her weapons away that morning or not. She couldn't remember...

"Haruno-san" A brisk voice snapped her out of her vague worries.

"Huh" she said intelligently, glancing around. In front of her, a woman in a light blue uniform was standing with hands on her hips, looking politely annoyed. "Oh" she bowed. "Sorry, Yumi-san! What"

The woman sighed. "Haruno-san, wake up. You aint never makin jounin if you always dreamin of Uchiha-san"

"Aiee! I haven't had a crush on Sasuke-kun for years" yelped Sakura.

Yumi was laughing at her. "Your face" she chuckled. She pulled a feather duster out of her pocket and left. (In case ya don't know, Yumi is an OC, she's the Hyuuga's maid since it makes sense they'd have one. Don't like her? Bite me. She's necessary. They already have one in the series? Well they retired as of right now.)

Sakura was flushed darkly. Hinata looked amused. "Come on, Sakura-chan. You're sure you want to train today" she repeated.

Sakura waved her off. "Yeah...jounin exams coming up soon...wanna be ready." She stood in the middle of the large dirt circle, stretching her arms over her head and taking a deep breath in an effort to wake up.

Hinata waited. "You said yesterday that I was doing something in sparring" she said. "What was it again"

Sakura thought for a second. "Oh yeah! It's your eyes. You blink every time I go for your face."

"Ok."

They both chose their starting stances. Yumi came out to watch after a minute and started refereeing enthusiastically, cheering one or both or yelling at them to keep their hands up or look behind them. She was like an entire crowd contained in one old woman.

Sakura wasn't doing well. Normally she could beat Hinata two out of three times, even when she used her eye thing (which I can't spell. Somebody tell me how and I'll fix it), but today she just wasn't with it. She accidentally turned her back on Hinata at least three times, missed by almost five feet throwing a stone, and was completely unprepared when Hinata came up behind her and poked her in the back.

After that, Hinata jumped away and stood still. Sakura waited for her to attack again, but Hinata shook her head. "Sakura-chan, I don't think we should train anymore today. I should greet Neji-nii-san, and you're tired."

"I'm fine" she protested. "I just stayed up late is all-I was studying"

"Bullshit" said Yumi. She stalked out and got right in Sakura's face, staring into her eyes from two inches away, towering over the kunoichi despite her amazingly short stature. "You tired, Haruno-san. I have kids, I know when they lyin. Get inside and I'll get you a sandwich, but you and Hinata-sama are done today."

Sakura blinked. Yumi was stubborn and bossy, and rather unpredictable. She knew that between Hinata's concern and Yumi's stubborn streak, there was no way they could keep sparring. "But...oh fine" she sighed. "Go on in, Hinata-chan. I'll be right there, I want to get the fade-out right..."

Hinata considered, thenturned politely to Yumi. "Yumi-san, would you please go inside and make Sakura-chan lunch? I'll make sure she comes in soon" she added at the dangerous look in Yumi's brown eyes.

Yumi looked suspiciously at Sakura, but after a second she turned and left.

"Okay, Sakura-chan, I'll help you with fading, but after that you have to take a break." Hinata walked back to her friend. Sakura had a habit of pushing herself past where she should have stopped and not taking care of herself when something was wrong.

Sakura sighed. "Thanks Hinata-chan." She walked over to a tree. "Show me again"

Hinata touched the bark, the pressed her back flat against the tree. Signing one-handed, she pressed herself tighter against the hard trunk. Within seconds, she had literally faded from view, leaving only the tree.

Which made it really weird when she decided to speak. "There's a variation that Neji-nii-san can do, it's a little different and harder. I don't know how yet though. When I learn I can show you."

"Thanks Hinata-chan" said Sakura, feeling weird addressing a tree. "I'll try now. Tell me if I get something wrong."

She strode up to a tree and leaned against it. Closing her eyes, she tried hard to mimick everything Hinata had done. She managed to become transparent, which if anything was weirder than talking to a tree that sounded like Hinata. When she opened her eyes, she swore vehemently and yelled "I still got it wrong"

Hinata sighed. It took a lot of stamina to perform the tecnique, but she didn't have the heart to tell Sakura that. Let her dream about it. She'll get stronger one day; after all, I did. And one day, I'll defeat Hanabi...I will make Father respect me. She shook herself out of her depressingly hopeful thoughts and un-merged with the tree, becoming visible again. She glanced down and sighed; her t-shirt, formerly pale yellow, was now a perfect dyed replica of tree bark.

Sakura became solid again with a defeated sigh and slumped down to the ground, head on her arms. Hinata offered her a hand and she stood again. Her eyes had darkened from emerald to nearly black and they were glazed and flat. She didn't seem to really see anything. Her movements were deadened.

Hinata bit her lip. Sakura had overextended herself; the only way to bring her back would be to make her sleep and eat, from the looks of her for several days. She put a hand under Sakura's arm and almost gasped. Her friend's dress wasn't as tight as the old one, and had hidden how thin the girl had become. There was muscle under Hinata's hand, but no fat and a very sharp bone. No wonder she has no stamina-doesn't she ever eat at home? She's always so hungry when she stays here, I assumed she ate like that at home too!

Chewingherpoor abusedlip, Hinata guided Sakura through the winding garden path and into the huge estate, leading her to the kitchen and sitting her down at the small table in the corner, talking to her the entire time. Sakura's answers were half-aware at best and entirely monosyllabic, and she never focused on anything.

Yumi took one look atSakura and swore so creativelyand fluentlyHinata was torn between taking notes for Naruto, laughing, and dying of embarrassment. "Hinata-sama, you said you'd bring her in afore she collapsed! Child, you may be 17, but your common sense sucks! Bring her here, yes right there, sit her down-Haruno-san! Wake up, you! Eat" She put a bowl of soup in front of Sakura and forced a spoon into her hand.

"Thanks Yumi-san" whispered Sakura. She started eating, unaware of the rest of the room. It seemed to take all her concentration to lift the spoon to her mouth and back to the bowl. When the bowl was empty, she poked it mindlessly with the spoon and brought it to her mouth anyway, stuck in the pattern.

Yumi pinched her, but Sakura didn't even jump. With an exasperated sigh, the maid took the spoon out of Sakura's limp hand and put a sandwich in it instead. Sakura raised it to her mouth and started nibbling, never actually taking a bite, but chewing the part in her mouth until it broke off and she could swallow it, then pushing more between her lips and repeating the sequence.

Yumi left after that. Hinata stayed with Sakura, wondering if she should just let her stay for the night. But she didn't have the Harunos' permission, and they might worry for their daughter.

Neji opened the front gate and walked inside, hands in his pockets and white eyes glaring at the flowers lining the ornamented path. He hated this place, hated how everything was always perfectly cared for, perfectly tended, perfect everything. He hated coming "home." It only reminded him he was forced to serve someone weaker than him, someone he could have crushed without thought had he been free.

He saw Yumi open the door and nodded once to her, all he would give in greeting. She said briskly "Hinata-sama has a visitor. If you want, the training ground's clear." Then she was gone.

He shook his head. His stomach grumbled suddenly and he glared at it, irritated at himself and the world in general that he hadn't eaten yet today. It was about six in the afternoon.

With a resigned grimace that faded as fast as it had come, he headed for the kitchen, intending to grab an apple and get out as fast as humanly possible and hope Hinata's visitor was a quiet person.

I can't believe someone reviewed! I'm taking exams right now, they're a pain in the butt...so anyway the point is I wrote this in a hurry and I thought I sucked, but people said they were reading it! Domo Arigato! I can't believe there are 8 of you! You are all so cool. Oh wait...9 of you! sweatdrop gimme a break, I don't have to think about anything math-related for a few days now that the geometry exam is over...hides in corner with Shiroari

I am posting the chapters at about 1/4 of the length I'm aiming for; honestly, I'm really sorry. I wanted to tell y'all Sakura's secret in this one. In the original (which my computer DELETED) several other things had already happened. If I was a reader, I would be pissed at me. Actually nevermind, I'm pissed at me anyway.

Now you can skip to the end because all I'm doing is replying to the people who bothered to say they read it!

Magus Black-san:
Thanks for reading. If they do fix the review history, would you be so kind as to tell me how to use it?

zero25-san:
Here's your update! Hope ya liked it! (If not, well...not my problem.)

NJ gangsta-san:
...nice screen name. Here ya go!

Mina-san:
Thank you. I do plan to make this a long story. (You can hide from the people in white with me...I've had practice)

nonengel-san:
You don't have to say anything, just "I read it" is fine with me...I have low expectations in life.

xx-Tsumi-Chan-xx-san:
(That was hard to type in the dark!) She does get stronger. That's part of the drama of this thing. Sorry, this isn't Sakura/Sasuke, but if you email me with details (genre, rating, length, etc.) I'll write one for ya! I'm glad you want to know her secret, that's the point of this...bwa haha. Thanks!...hm...chicken you say?...ponders hadn't thought about it. I can work that in...

understar-san:
Domo Arigato! bows Without your email I never would have been able to post this next chapter! bows again in gratitude because I can You're very helpful!

Umino Ayame-chan:
Ya well I know where you live too, Ayame!

Hao'sAnjul-san:
Here's your update! Like what she did?

Thanks everybody...you made me smile, any idea how hard that is? (ask Ayame, she's seen me try...it's pathetic)

Until next time! Ja! (Oh yeah, and I broke my finger...because I am stupid and reckless and have to learn the hard way...so updates may take a few days due to the fact that I type SLOWER now...grumbles )

WARNING: I may up the rating to PG-13 or R if this idea goes where I think it might later. If someone has restraints and cannot read anything above PG, please tell me and I'll see to it that I keep a PG version of "Illusion" floating around.

Kinda pointless warning: I have no people skills. If I come off as rude, somebody tell me. I don't do it on purpose.

Kage