I don't own Naruto

"I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"

― Ernest Hemingway

The eight years old Sakura was squalid and exhausted. It is hard not to be when she has been training her taijutsu for six full hours. No, often she practises after academy class after all. To be precise, she was never doing that. The girl hadn't been thinking that she needed it, for some reason. For example, she believed that if she kept her results on an average level, she didn't need more. After all, Sasuke-kun doesn't like girls who're are stronger than himself, and if she still had muscles, he would never like her! Today, however, something happened that made the girl angry with herself.

In the morning, Sakura woke up with a decision that she would do it for sure today. She will come out of Ino's shadow and will be known as her own person, as Sakura Haruno and not the pink-haired friend of Yamanaka. She has been gathering for a long time to inform the girl that from now on they will be rivals for the heart of Sasuke. She decided that this was the high season because she ended nine for an equal week.

She entered the academy, prepared for the confrontation, but ... Ino wasn't there. At the lunch break, she gathered herself and approached Shikamaru and Choji. She took a deep breath to calm down because she hadn't talked much with them before and never knew what to talk to. The boys seem to be friends, but she never saw them talking much to each other. One of them usually lies on the grass, watching the clouds, and the other one is eating something.

"Hi!" She smiled at them, and they looked at her curiously. At least Akimichi boy, because the other only turned his head on her, showing that he was listening. "you do not know why Ino-chan is not here today?" Haruno tried not to show uncertainty if she was to be her own person, she might as well start now. The first one answered her Choji

"Yes!" he said, after eating chips, and then continued "yesterday at the clan dinner she fell into the river and she caught a cold."

Cherry bit her lip and frustrated, she thought it happened when she gathered in herself. She asked the question unconsciously.

"Is she okay?" She must have looked very worried, perhaps Choji misinterpreted her intentions because he looked at her with compassion.

"If you want, you can sit with us" He offered mercy.

She didn't know why she sat down with them at that moment, she thought then about Sasuke. She knew that it was the best she could do at that time. Because Choji and Shikamaru turned out to be better friends than she could ever think that they can be. Choji was nice and kind. Shikamaru was wise, more than academy tests showed. Because he showed her, her stupidity, without realizing it. And that thanks to the Choji's question.

"U-um, Sakura? It interested me. Why do those girls argue? Before, they were friends.

Cherry knew them. They were making insults because they both thought they were more suitable for Sasuke's girlfriend, which Sakura found unwise. And that, Sakura was told Choji. But she didn't say that she thinks she is one, because for her the only girl she thinks Sasuke can pay attention is Ino and she wants to change so that she will be there too. And it was stupid, she was told by Shikamaru's words, which he said without looking away from the sky and yawning.

"Of course is stupid. How no one can argue about someone, who's not interested no one girls. He's annoyed by these stupid girls. Even Ino like him too isn't that stupid to clash about him."

They didn't notice that Sakura stiffened 'I'm that stupid' she thought.

And she never thought that in another reality, at that same moment, Ino came to school that day and Sakura ended their friendship because of the boy.

Sakura only thought that she is the worst friend how she could be. The heiress of Yamanaka has done a lot for her. She protected her, they laughed with each other, they talked to each other. They perfect understood themselves. Cherry thinks, how she could ever want ended they friendship like a weak person, who can't be own person without that.

In this one day, Sakura promises herself that she'll never crash they friendship in such a stupid way. The girl promises herself that she'll be strong with Ino as her friend. Then she started to think about how to do that.

Rather than back to home, she still thought, because she always was good at this. She went to a quiet area, still thinking. Sakura thought constantly, doing academic kata with difficulty, not accustomed to big effort muscles. She to beat at training stump, beating with thoughts. What she should do? How she can look at Ino's eyes? How to be her own person, independent of others? How to be strong, that Ino, mom and dad would be proud? Why does she want to fight?

In the end, Sakura doesn't know what she should do.

Exhausted she subsides at the dirt and looked in the sky, she realized with surprise that the sky is dark. She thought that must be 8 p.m. With a sudden emptiness in her head, she tried to stand up. Only what she did, was fall on dirt again. Wanting to support her with her hands she felt burning and pain, thus she realized that her fists were all bloody and couldn't open them. She tensed her muscles with cautiousness and she felt pain which radiated to her entire body. She looked at her bloody hands, at her outfit witch weren't good to practise. Sudden she stooped feel anything. Sakura tried to still have the open eyes, but she lost. The last thought was unclear 'Momma will mad'

"Have you know why membership is that important for shinobi? Why for shinobi of Konoha important is Will of Fire? Why they fight for the idea?"

Girls were yearned at Sasuke, he was looking through the window. The other boys were drawing or dozing. Shikamaru slept openly, Kiba was throwing papers, Shino and Hinata were lazily make notes and Naruto was spinning in a chair. Sakura was trying makes notes too and listening, but Sasuke was distracting her.

"For some reasons. For example, live. Live means safety all village, peace and free. Will of Firemeans that same, that our loved ones are protected. Second Hokage…

"Iruka-sensei! Let's teach cool Jutsu. Such things will not make me super Hokage!"

"Naruto! It's important! Shikamaru, don't sleep " he looked at all class "You all bring an essay on reforms Second Hokage and how they help you becoming a ninja!"

A groan of dissatisfaction followed the class."

When Sakura took her eyes, she saw the ceiling. The ceiling in her room. She wouldn't be surprised if she didn't remind where she had fallen asleep or where she lost consciousness. Certainly, not her parents brought her home. Her dad, after all, is on a mission and a mother in a family outside of Konoha. She sat on the bed and saw that she was still in the clothes from yesterday.

'Shinobi rule #12 – Shinobi always must be aware of everything that happens to him' And Sakura wasn't.

She was squalid. Her hair was matted. Sitting up she ignored the pain in her muscles because she realized that she deserved it. However, she went to the bathroom and washed away all the dirt that covered her. Next, she went to eat breakfast.

Recalling what Iruka-Sensei said one day, she did a basic academic warm-up to stretch the muscles after yesterday's training. She also decided to do her homework on Monday, she did it almost mechanically. She didn't even notice when she finished it. She couldn't stop thinking about what she should do. Because of her stupidity, she lost almost a friend (not that she planned to ever admit) and now she must make Ino and her parents proud of her. But she just wondered why. It is not even too strong physically, totally average. Her ninjutsu is good, but nothing more, could be better. Could she be good enough to match Ino, who is perfect in everything in Sakura's opinion? Could she make her parents proud of her? Maybe she should give up.

" You're only Forehead Girl. You'll never b'come ninja. Once you stay, you'll only be a dead weight. Forehead Girl!"

She doesn't understand why they tell her she is wise. How they can if she is stupid. Why she made friends with Ino? Why did she fall in love with Sasuke? Why did she want to become shinobi?

' 'Cause they're strong' And she wants to be too. She realized something immediately.

'I'm wanna be strong too' 'Shinobi Rule #7 - A shinobi must prepare before it is too late to" And she gave herself a promise. She decided she would be prepared to be a ninja before it was too late. He intends to abide by this provision no matter what. She attaches one card above desk with the inscription "Be strong"

'Even, I don't know how I can be stronger' She fell at the desk.

'Just make yourself the best in the class!' Sakura was irritated.

'It easy to say. You're only in my head!'

'Isn't that mean that Am I you? Then I say what ya know' Sakura snorted

'Then how I can be stronger? I'll never be strong"

…

…

SLAP!

'No! I'll be strong!'

'That is what I like! Let's use our strengths'

'But I haven't got… Exams!'

'Exactly, we're good in theory. Let's make theory to real power!'

'I've got a good memory too'

' We already have a starting point. What we are going to do with it?'Sakura wondered, looking out the window.

'I will review the notes, maybe there will be something useful there. It will be, I just have to separate into important and more important things'

'So let's get to work. If we are strong, Sasuke-kun will trust us and sleep well with us. A good night's sleep is important for the complexion!' Sakura deliberately ignored her other self, not wanting to remind herself what she almost did. The girl pulled out all her notebooks and began to look through them. She pulled out four blank notebooks and signed each one.

Green notebook - 'Taijutsu'

Blue notebook – 'Ninjutsu'

Red notebook – 'Genjutsu'

Yellow notebook – 'The others'

She began to review notes from the first class, noting at the same time how she was improved her writing. She organized everything in these four categories by segregating things important and more important.

…

"…kura! Wake up! Sakura!"

The eight-year-old girl suddenly opened her eyes and raised her head. She felt the cards stuck to her face.

'Again I wasn't aware of the surroundings'

'Until then, we are safe, but we will fix it before we become a genin. We will then take care of Sasuke Kun's good sleep!' Sakura ignored the Inner one again and looked at her parents.

"Have you come back? - she murmured, rubbing her eyes. Blond-haired women laughed.

"Yes. You know that you have all day to do the homework, you didn't have to fall asleep over them"

"U-um, I just learned. My homework is already done" she blushed.

"See you Mebuki? My cute little daughter is determinate to be still the smartest girl in class!"

A man with cherry-shaped hair and a jounin uniform leaned against the door frame, gazing affectionately at the scene in front of him.

Sakura was surprised.

"That's not why I'm learning" Looking at each other, they asked surprised.

"Then why?"

She looked determinedly in their eyes.

"' Cause I'm wanna become strong kunoichi. To protected Konoha and you"

Hi everyone!

Recently I was tempted to write a story about Sakura. In my opinion, she has been omitted in the manga. I'd like to write something about 'what could be if...'. I want to show you my images, how I imagine sakura if she starts train earlier.

Sakura is thinking person. I think, before she stopped her friendship with Ino, she must think a very long time. Peer pressure and low self-esteem made her that decision. I have thought, what could be if she follows a different path and tries made herself stronger instead of looking for love from someone"strong". According to me, Sakura has more potential than it was showed in manga or anime.

What about you? Have you thought that Sakura could do something like that at 8?