Haruno Sakura is three years old when she first hears the history of her clan in a fairy tale story.

"Okasan, can you tell me a story?" she asks her mother one night as she lays in her bed.

"Alright, Sakura-chan. I will tell you an interesting story about a powerful woman named Haruno Akane. Your first ancestor."

"My ancestor?"

"Yes, your ancestor... Many years ago," Haruno Mebuki begins. "There was a woman named Haruno Akane. She has a special and secret gift that only her family knows about. Since you are part of the family, do you want to know what the secret is?"

"Yes, Okasan!"

"She has a gift to befriend those who have a troubled past and even ghosts with unfinished business. However, she only becomes friends with these people through dreams."

"Dreams?"

"Yes, you see…Akane has a special mind. She has a second persona within her who is powerful enough to draw people from great distances and even past death's door through her dreams, where she can talk and learn from them. People who have past traumas, unresolved problems and even restless spirits are drawn to her dreamscape, where Akane comforts them and brings them peace by her sheer presence alone…because Akane has a mind that gives solace to lost and wayward souls while her dream friends have no other choice but to reveal their true selves to her."

"What else can she do, Okasan?"

"Well…Akane's dreamscape is also considered to be a neutral zone, which means no fighting inside while she speaks with people from two opposing sides. But more than that, the one thing that made Akane so powerful was the secrets she learned from her dream friends. Secrets that could topple kingdoms and start a world war. Secrets that were still protected by Akane even when she passed away."

"But what made Akane so great, Okasan?"

"Akane was considered to be the most formidable individual by many mainly because of the many things she learned from her friends and allies. However, more than that, she was considered to be dangerous because of the people who protected her. A circle of friends that stayed by her side to the very end. The circle which now becomes the symbol of our clan, representing the people who support Akane, our family and a symbol for our family's secret gift…Now, do you want me to tell you about Akane's adventure with her friends?"

"Yes! Yes! Tell me more Okasan!"

"Alright. I will tell you the story when Akane and her friends brought Death to heel through the combination of determination, courage, love, and the power of friendship…"

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Sakura is only four years old when she discovers Inner. Inner who is a strong second persona who doesn't hesitate to express her opinion about everything while Sakura is conscious and interacting with the outside world.

She doesn't remember much of it but she does remember falling asleep and waking up in a field of flowers.

And there she meets Inner. A black and white caricature of herself but with a power that she still doesn't know yet.

"Hello, Sakura," is Inner's first words to her.

"Amm…Who are you?" is her only curious response.

"I'm you, but a much prettier, smarter and more powerful version of you. You can call me Inner," the figure says with a grin across her white face.

Sakura immediately takes offense at her words and declares, "That's not true! I am much prettier, smarter and colorful than you! You look like a drawing while I look like a real person!"

"Believe me, Sakura-chan. I'm far more real in this place than you are," comes the figure's response, her grin widening. "For I am the source of your power."

Thereafter, they become inseparable from then on.

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She is only four years old when she meets two people in her dreams for the first time after Inner draws them to her.

She is making a paper origami beside Inner and waiting for the friends that Inner promises her in her dream. At first, everything was fine. They are simply sitting and enjoying the silence in the glade filled with flowers when Sakura suddenly hears a sound of rustling grass coming from behind her. They both turn around and see a boy three to four years older than them standing there. The boy is glowing red and Sakura wonders why that is, but since this isn't an ordinary dream, she suspects that there is a reason behind it.

The boy has vivid green eyes, shoulder-length white hair, pale skin, and two scarlet dots on his forehead. He is also wearing a lavender ensemble-clothing with a rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist.

The boy is staring at Inner and Sakura while they are staring right back. Sakura pauses in her origami-making while she regards the boy standing before her.

Sakura knows why he is there but she doesn't know him yet and she soon remedies that by asking, "Who are you?"

There is a momentary pause as the boy looks at her with a crease between the two scarlet dots on his forehead.

"It's rude to stare you know," Inner points out after a moment while she too watches when the boy blinks at her as if silently wondering what she is.

It can't be helped since Inner is solely made of black and white drawing to create a human figure.

"Sorry," the boy responds softly. "I didn't mean to be rude…"

"It's ok," Sakura smiles at him. "My name is Sakura and this is Inner…" Sakura nods to the figure sitting beside her.

"How about you? What's your name?" Inner inquires with interest.

"Kaguya Kimimaro," the boy replies, smiling in return.

"It's nice to meet you Kimimaro. Do you want to become our first friend here?" Sakura asks him tentatively.

The boy considers their request for a moment before he says to them uncertainly, "I have never had friends before…"

"Then, we will be your first friend, Kimimaro-kun." Sakura declares with the confidence of a child.

The boy's reply is to smile at them shyly before saying softly, "If you are sure…"

"Yes, we are sure!" Inner exclaims with enthusiasm. "Now, come sit with us!"

The boy remains silent while he continues to regard them with an uncertain expression on his face.

"We don't bite…unless you upset us," Inner adds, showing the sharp triangles within her mouth that resemble teeth.

"Don't mind her," Sakura chirps. "She's always like that."

However, before the white-haired boy can say anything, another set of footsteps can be heard nearby. And all turn around towards the direction of the sound where Sakura finds a boy with black hair, which he wears in a low ponytail. He also has a grey high collared shirt and black shorts. He looks to be four to five years older than Sakura. He is also surrounded by glowing red aura, which she will asks Inner about it later.

"Look! I brought you another friend to play with," Inner says excitedly.

"How do you do it exactly?" Sakura asks as she turns curiously at Inner.

"It's difficult to explain Sakura-chan, but it has something to do with reaching outwards and feeling for spiritual energies that has turn dark - "

Inner's explanation is interrupted by someone saying politely, "Excuse me…"

Sakura looks up at the black-haired boy who spoke.

"Where am I?" The boy finishes once he has the group's full attention.

"You are in Sakura's dream! And who might you be?" Inner states jubilantly.

The black-haired scrutinizes the three before he finally decides to reply, "My name is Uchiha Itachi and you are?"


AN: And that my friend..is the start of how Sakura and Inner befriends people who they meet in their dreamscape. This is another idea that I can't shake. This will be a Sakura & Multi fic.