It's been a long time since I've written something for the Naruto fandom, however if there is something that hasn't changed in all these years, it's the fact that I love messing around with the characters in their genin years!

This fanfic will have a lot of elements to it, so don't let the first chapter fool you, I have a lot planned. This is a canon divergent story and brings in elements from Road To Ninja, however probably not in the way that you all think. For now, that's all I'm willing to admit. Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

The Forest of Death had been Sakura's awakening. The undoing of a civilian girl, and the birth of what could potentially be one of the most promising kunoichi the village had produced. Since the beginning of the exams, she knew that it would be difficult, well aware that her spirits as well as anything else she held dear to her could be lost...including the lives of her teammates. However there was a small part of her that hoped that they would be one of the lucky ones, untouched from the horrors of this little game and be able to come out the same way they had started. How wrong she had been to believe something so foolish.

It was within the first few hours of the second test that the painful truth had rung its ugly head and spat it's venom in her face. They would be lucky to escape with their lives. Every hour she spent there felt like a calling of death. Orochimaru's appearance and the Sound Ninja's attack had forever burned themselves in the kunoichi's brain...and what was even worse than that...was the situation with Sasuke…The boy that had stolen her heart in literally just one look.

His life was just a huge jumble now, or at least that's what it seemed like after Orochimaru placed that Curse Mark upon his neck. His once flawless, pale skin now had a black three tomoe design plastered on the back of his neck. If it weren't for the neck of his shirt, Sakura was sure that the seal would be difficult to miss, a permanent reminder of her failure that day. A failure to protect those she cared about most.

What that signaled for the fate of Team Seven, Sakura wasn't sure, but more likely than not, it spelled trouble.

Everything just seemed so uncertain now life was no longer playing by the rules that she had grown so used to in her childhood. She was a ninja now, a life where the unexpected, was the expected.

...However, this predicament was something Sakura would never have been prepared for, even with all the craziness that she had experienced up to now.

Small, fragile hands shook at her side, emerald eyes wide with disbelief as she questioned the familiar onyx orbs that stared back down at her from a nearby tree.

'What...what is he doing here?'

The events leading to this unexpected meeting had all started earlier this morning...

Loneliness...

A feeling that you never quite realize is there until it bubbles up to a point where you just can't deny it any longer. Sakura had felt it before, but not like this, or at least not in years. When she was a child, she would constantly fight the feeling, being the outcast and picked on due to her abnormally sized forehead. It was a self destructive feeling that just couldn't be beat, not alone. When Ino had come into her life, it never quite felt the same. Sure, she wasn't what one would call 'friendly' after their declared rivalry, however her presence was acknowledged, and she was something to someone.

Now, she was alone again...and it hurt so, so much. Not when she could be out there doing something. Ever since the Forest of Death, Sakura couldn't quite ease up. Orochimaru had branded Sasuke with that seal...and as a teammate and a friend, she couldn't help but fear for his well being.

What that mark made him do to those sound ninja truly terrified her. It took all of Sakura's willpower for her to just get up on her already trembling legs and stop him from doing something he would potentially regret, her hands wrapping around his torso in a tearful embrace. And now, he was away from her again. Sure, he was with Kakashi-sensei, one of the most qualified ninja out there, but she was still scared.

'That's all you ever are.' She silently berated, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat upon her bed, gazing out her window at nothing in particular.

'Shannaro! At least you tried, you big dummy! Quit beating yourself up before I do it for you!' Inner's fists moved rapidly at her words, expressing the disapprovement she felt at such degrading thoughts.

'You know...you are me.' Sakura replied, almost humored by the irony.

'T-tch...yeah...so…'

The pout that formed on Inner's lips could almost be heard from her tone of voice, something that Sakura couldn't help but chuckle softly at.

'It's funny...how I can speak to myself like this…'

In all truth, it was her previous experiences that allowed something like this to happen in the first place. A child with raging emotions yet, no one to talk to them about. Her parents would never understand...her father would probably make some tasteless joke while her mother would tell her that she's being merely overdramatic...So to fill that gap, Inner was created, and she had been there in her head, ever since.

'If only Naruto were here...he would understand.'

Another missing teammate from her life...out to train for the upcoming stage of the Chunnin Exams. He may be annoying from time to time, and her fist has become so familiar with the top of his head due to her beatings that she could remember the feeling by memory, but at the end of the day...he was now something of a brother. She trusted him with her life and part of her hoped...that he would do the same.

'Yeah right...how can you protect him when you can't even protect yourself? If it weren't for Lee, Ino, and the others, you'd probably be dead right about now.'

A small whimper subconsciously escaped the pinkette's lips as she buried her head between her knees. With lips quivering and shaky hands, Sakura took in a deep breath, her chest expanding and deflating with every breath taken. It seemed that some things never changed.

Almost without thought, Sakura began to slide off the side of her bed, heading towards the door and downstairs. As usual, her parents were out of the house, probably out for work.

After slipping on her ninja gear and double checking that she had everything she needed, the young kunoichi headed out towards the spot that Team Seven usually trained. Walking through the town was something that Sakura needed, the fresh air, the people, the voices reminding her that out there, there was a life worth being grateful for. A life worth protecting. These were the things that she needed to remember, a drive to get better instead of staying stagnant and allowing fate to drive it's course...whatever that course may be.

'SHANNARO! We may not be participating in the Chunnin Exams, but that doesn't mean we can't continue training! We'll show 'em what a true kunoichi is made of!'

Sakura's head nodded vigorously at her words of encouragement, not bothering to acknowledge the questionable stares that were sent her way.

Minutes had passed as the pinkette continued her walk through town, allowing herself to be distracted by the sweets and deals that had been offered from the surrounding shops. Almost an hour had passed before she finally reached the training grounds as she had also spent some time on the small bridge that Team Seven considered their unofficial meeting spot.

As she approached one of the surrounding trees in the area, Sakura began to grab the shuriken and kunai that she had brought with her inside of her pouch. For a while she had simply stood there, remembering the small tips that her teammates had given her whenever they had worked on their aim. Despite having excellent chakra control, there was no denying the fact that Sakura had much to work on when it came to her physical prowess.

After she was sure that she had remembered everything that she needed, Sakura had gotten into a stance, stabilizing herself on the dirt ground before extending her hand out and watching the shuriken fly. Although some of them managed to hit the target, not all of them were in deep enough to stay embedded in the bark, silently taunting her lack of strength.

She then continued to repeat this action, grabbing whatever shuriken and kunai she was able to get her hands on before launching them all towards the tree one by one. She watched as some missed her target, and how others bounced onto the ground either due to being thrown the wrong way, or not not enough force being put in to the throw.

'DAMN IT!' She seethed, fists clenching at her sides due to frustration.

After letting out a disgruntled groan, Sakura made her way towards the tree and began to collect the fallen shuriken that surrounded it. She silently patted herself on the weapons that managed to get lodged into the tree, which was quite a decent amount, however she was not satisfied.

After gathering what she thought was the same amount of weapons that she had brought with her for training, Sakura walked back to where she had first started and counted her weapons for what could have been the third time today. After this count, thin, pink brows furrowed in confusion. She was missing one kunai. As pathetic as that may have sounded, her parents demanded that she come home with all her weapons due to the sheer amount of times she had 'misplaced' them during previous training sessions. They were less than willing to buy her any more replacements for the time being.

Her hands moved once more as she recounted her ninja tools, a frustrated huff escaping her lips as she had come up with the same amount that she had in her last count.

'Damn it! I swear I saw all the kunai in the area...I even checked in the bushes!' Her dainty hands raked through the now short, pink locks before she placing her tools back in her pouch. The kunoichi reluctantly stomped back into the brush where she had last checked for her discarded ninja tools, stubbornly searching for that missing one.

After half an hour worth of checking, Sakura was just about ready to throw in the towel, finding the amount of time this escapade was taking...absurd.

With yet another frustrated huff, the pinkette threw herself against the trunk of a nearby tree, sinking down to her knees due to her tiredness. " Ugh, I'm never going to find that darned thing." She mumbled, adjusting her posture so that her knees were being hugged to the plains of her chest.

As she sat there, an eerie whistling sound could be heard coming from a distance...and it was getting louder, quickly.

"W-wha-"

Before Sakura was able to finish her question, a kunai had been planted in the bark of the tree, a few mere centimeters away from grazing her cheek.

"Looking for something?" A cocky voice asked, the smile in their voice so obvious Sakura was able to hear it. Though, that was not the reason her eyes were the size of saucers, it wasn't even the fact that a kunai had almost killed her. No. It was the familiar pair of ebony eyes that stared back down at her in amusement.

"S-S...Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here!?" Sakura was quick to stand up, disbelieving of the sight that had met her.

When had her stoic teammate ever looked like this? He stood in what seemed to be utmost confidence, his hitai-ate dancing in the wind as he stood upon a branch. He actually seemed to take in the situation she was in, eyeing her up and down without any humility, and to top it all off, there was a smile on his face. She didn't need to see much to know that her teammate was obviously not himself.

Barely a second had passed before the male leaped down from the tree he was perched upon and down onto the ground with a familiar grace.

"What's got you all worked up? It's almost like you've just seen a ghost." As he spoke, Sasuke sauntered over to where Sakura stood, the latter as straight as a board as she tried to assess the situation.

"And you know, since it's just the two of us here…" Sasuke stood still for a moment, his hand placed carefully on the bottom of his chin as his other hand was hidden behind his back. Holding what exactly? She didn't know. For all she did know, he could be trying to launch some really really odd sneak attack.

She hadn't even fully comprehended his words before a beautiful red rose had been thrust into her face. The owner of said rose being Sasuke Uchiha himself. " Come on now, show me that dazzling smile of yours."

Now she was completely frozen, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the fresh rose that was being offered to her by the person she adored most...however she couldn't believe it. Not in a million years would Sasuke ever do something like this for her. Ever.

Before the pre-teen was able to say more, Sakura had blacked out. She gracelessly rocked back and forth before her body had settled with landing on her back, the action soon followed with a crash. Even Sasuke seemed startled by the action, eyeing her once more before kneeling at her side, placing the rose on the ground before shaking her shoulder, a look of worry plastered over his pale features.

"Uh hey...Sakura? Come on, this isn't funny!"

A few minutes had passed before Sakura began to regain consciousness, a small groan escaping her lips.

'What...what happened?'

Sakura had yet to open her eyes, but she was conscious...and questioning her sanity. Had that all been some crazy dream? It wouldn't be the first time it happened...as embarrassing as it was to admit, however there was just something about this that felt different...For instance, the throbbing on her back was very much real, implying that her fall had been real as well. So...what did that mean for Sasuke and his odd behavior? Was that real too?

With her curiosity on all of these sudden events finally reaching its peak, Sakura's eyes snapped open, meeting Sasuke's searching eyes once more. It was a pure coincidence at how familiar this situation felt to Sakura. They were in a position similar to this when they had taken the Bell Test, and she passed out to seeing Sasuke's head sticking out of the ground due to Kakashi's earth jutsu. The main difference was that the eyes that stared into her own had never looked so...relieved.

"Sakura! It's about time you woke up." Sasuke backed away from her side as if to give her some room as she sat up, the female's hand still massaging her back.

"Y-yeah...thanks Sasuke-kun…"

As she spoke, there was no denying the red that spread across her cheeks. It seemed that Sasuke was a bit more like himself now...however his presence still felt off, like there was something wrong about him. His presence alone was something that she questioned. Wasn't he supposed to be off training with Kakashi? He wasn't one to take a break from training, let alone to see her. As much as she would love to entertain such a thought, Sakura was confident that the chances of that happening was one-to-none.

"So uhhh...what are you doing here Sasuke-kun? I thought you were off training with Kakashi-sensei."

The smile on Sasuke's face widened at the question, yet another sign that there was something off. She had thought that the smile on his face from earlier was a product of her overactive imagination, however, this was real...very much real. It looked handsomely on his face which was usually stuck on his neutral expression or frown, maybe a smirk or two whenever Sakura berated Naruto, but that was about it.

"Neeee? Why would I be out with that old geezer when I could be spending time with my precious Sakura-chan?" As the male pulled her into a warm embrace, Sakura felt her face light on fire like a matchstick.

"G-get off of me you creep!" Without a second thought, Sakura threw her fist at the imposter, her fist landing square on his jaw, sending him flying a few feet back.

"W-who are you!? And why are you acting like Sasuke-kun!?" Her finger was pointed at the male in accusation as she shouted, her face turned into one of both anger and embarrassment. How could she possibly believe that this was Sasuke? He would never do something like that...even his words were highly questionable! It seemed like what had happened before her fainting act really did happen...however this was not Sasuke.

"Sakura, what the hell! I am Sasuke! Have you finally lost it!?" 'Sasuke's' hand grazed the cheek that had been hit, silently checking for any traces of blood that may have been drawn.

"N-no! That's not possible! Sasuke-kun is calm, collected, and not interested in anything that doesn't have to do with his revenge...and there is absolutely no way he would be interested in me! Now tell me, who are you!? Tell me before I pound you into next week!" Her outstretched hand was now clenched into a fist, as if to prove her point. "Wait! Maybe this is all just a genjutsu...and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker! Ah! I am such an idiot!"

Once again, Sakura's hands were raking through her hair, berating herself for the apparent slip-up. Her hands then moved towards the front of her face, forming all necessary hand seals before muttering a "Kai!". As the release was cast, Sakura's eyes had been squeezed shut, allowing 'Sasuke' to walk up to the girl and shake her roughly by the shoulders.

"Hey! Sakura! Cut it out! Do you realize how crazy you look right now." His eyes hardened as he tried to get the young kunoichi to realize her accusations about him were false, his voice lowering from the cheerful tone that had been used a mere few moments ago.

"I'm the one acting crazy!? Sasuke freaking Uchiha is being nice to me! The world must be coming to an end!" Her panic never ceased, the hands that had once made the hand seals now fumbling with the hem of her red dress. "What game are you playing Sasuke-kun? Because...it really isn't funny…"

This Sasuke hadn't disappeared, even when she released whatever genjutsu may have been cast upon her...and he wasn't making any potentially alarming actions. All he was doing...was staring at the girl in disbelief.

Tears were threatening to fall as her grip tightened. The only other conclusion she was capable of coming up with for his odd behavior was that he was trying to get her to hate him somehow. Maybe he wanted to get her hopes up on actually having a change with him before making those hopes drop like a bowling ball and breaking her heart...permanently. "Please...just stop already…"

"What are you talking about?" His voice wasn't as low as it usually was, his tone still holding an odd light to it, however she knew he was being serious. She didn't have to do so much as glance at him to know that his eyes bored into her skull. "Sakura...I'm not playing at anything right now. Are you sure you're okay? You're acting kind of weird."

That was the sentence that had caught Sakura off guard. This was not odd behavior at all. If anything, she was surprised that Sasuke hadn't brushed her off as annoying and went along with his day. Not only that, but...he was supposed to be training with Kakashi-sensei, not here in Konoha. None of the dots connected.

"S-Sasuke-kun? How...do you remember me?"

The look on Sasuke's face had returned to the cheerful expression that had been used before Sakura passed out, something that Sakura subconsciously cringed at. This...was definitely not the Sasuke she had grown to know in the last few years of her life...but if he wasn't her Sasuke, then who was he?

"Well, in my memory you're always so uptight and serious, putting your work before anything else...however you were also considerate...and caring. If one of our friends were in danger or needed help, you were one of the first people to offer your assistance. It was something I alway admired about you~"

The look on the shinobi's face made it perfectly obvious that it was his intention to get a rise out of the girl in front of him. He was flirting with her on purpose. Seeing Sasuke speak in such a manner made the pinkette want to slap herself silly. It was a sight Sakura never thought she'd see. She had quickly returned her focus to the male in front of her, noticing the sudden change in the atmosphere as he spoke his next words.

"But, you always chased after Menma...You never once gave me the time of day. I know he's a great guy and all, but...sometimes, I wished you'd look at me the same way you did him." As he spoke, Sasuke's eyes softened, making him look more vulnerable than Sakura's ever seen him before. Unlike the usual cold and impassive expression that usually adorned his features, Sasuke looked like he actually cared. He cared about how she, Sakura Haruno, looked at him. However, that was a short lived moment, soon enough his face had returned to its usual stoic nature. Despite this, there was something about his eyes that made him look different...it was like there was more life to them than usual.

A low breeze had suddenly begun to pick up, causing Sasuke's hair to frolic in the breeze. For what could be the hundredth time today, Sakura stared at him in awe. In no way was this boy the Sasuke that she knew...however they shared the same appearance and no matter what the case was, he still looked like an angel sent down from heaven...especially now.

"You...You're not my Sasuke-kun." Sakura breathed, holding her hands close to her chest as she had voiced her thoughts on the matter. "You're not my Sasuke-kun...yet you are Sasuke...a Sasuke?" The more she spoke, the more Sakura felt her cheeks heat up, realizing how foolish she sounded.

"Oh yeah Sakura-chan? And what makes you say that?" His head turned towards her out of interest, a brow quirking up as if urging her to continue.

"I told you earlier...My Sasuke-kun would never care about relationships or anything like that. He only cares about his revenge...and that's all. He never has enough time to fool around or go on dates. I'm convinced he actually hates me to be completely honest. All he does is call me annoying and tell me to train more...the reason I acted so weird earlier was because...I actually like...Sasuke-kun…Not...Menma."

'Whoever that is..' Sakura added in silently.

Admitting to her crush on Sasuke was never a problem in the past, however for some reason that was not the case here. It was possible this was because she was saying this to someone who shared the same name and face as her teammate, that or something inside of her really has changed in the Forest of Death...something about her affection for Sasuke had changed. But what was it? Nothing between them had actually changed. The only real difference between any of them was that Sakura had cut her hair...and Sasuke gained the curse mark.

The Sasuke in front of her had listened tentatively, his eyes not moving from her once. He seemed to be in deep thought, his hand resting in the palm of his hand as he sat, now shrouded in silence. For a moment there, Sakura was actually able to see her Sasuke in him.

"Aaa, is that so? Well then Sakura-chan, I suppose we really don't know each other. You know, I'd love to talk more...however I don't think this is really the right place for us to have this sort of discussion. How about we go over to your place? We should have some more privacy, am I right?" The smile that adorned his face was still something Sakura wasn't used to seeing, however she supposed it was something she would have to eventually get used to. Especially since she didn't know how much time she would be spending with...him.

"O-oh! Yeah...my parents should be out right now...so we should be good." As she spoke, Sakura began to head towards her residence, the odd Uchiha following from not too far behind her.

"Eh? Sakura-chan...your parents are alive in this world?" As he spoke, Sasuke increased his pace, making it so that Sakura and himself were walking side by side, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Um...Yeah? Why? Are they not in yours?" She turned to face the male quirking her own in curiosity,

His head shook in a negative connotation, an action that made Sakura's eyes widen in surprise. So...in the world that this Sasuke came from, she grew up with no parents…

"No...your father was actually the Fourth Hokage...so he died during the attack, as did your mother." Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets as he spoke, giving himself a much more relaxed and calm demeanor...similar to that of the Sasuke of this world.

"W-wait...they were the wha-!?"

Before Sakura was able to finish her sentence, Sasuke slapped his hand over her mouth, making it so that afterwards, muffles were all that was capable of being heard.

"W-would you quiet down!?" He hissed, his voice just below a whisper as he began to drag the two of them towards her house. "There are ANBU everywhere...I don't think letting them know about my position is the best thing at the moment." He seemed to disregard the fact that his hand was still placed over Sakura's mouth, and his other hand wrapped tightly around her waist as he plowed through the busy streets of Konoha, only stopping as they reached a familiar doorstep. The breath he didn't know he held in finally released with a loud exhale, his grip on the pinkette finally loosening up.

"Okay Sakura, I need your-" As the young Uchiha turned to face his companion, he paled, watching as her body dropped from his arms and onto the pavement. Her face was flushed red despite being unconscious, her words incoherent as she mumbled something about this all being a dream.

"...keys…"

Sasuke let out a sigh, kneeling down so that he was able to search through his 'teammate's' pouch. It had taken him a few seconds to find the item he was searching for. He ran his fingers over the cold metal, familiarizing himself with the feel of them before holding it up to the lock. After opening the door, Sasuke turned to his unconscious companion, taking her in his arms before entering the household. His foot shifted towards the door, closing it behind him before walking forward and placing Sakura on a nearby couch.

Even after laying the girl down, Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the pink haired beauty before him, kneeling to make it so he was at face level. Slowly, his hand grazed against her polcrean skin, brushing one of her loose, pink locks away from her face. This scene allowed a small smile to creep onto his face.

"You really are something else...you know...Sakura..."

Okay! I'll give a short explanation of my interpretation of Charasuke here so no one gets confused. In the Infinite Tsukuyomi as well as RTN, the Konoha Eleven were never aware of any situation that deemed itself something to truly worry about and worth putting on their 'mean face' so their personalities were pretty much up in the air. Despite his flirty attitude, Charasuke is still an Uchiha, so I like to think that within the right situations, he can be similar to the Sasuke that we all know. I feel like I made him a bit over the top in this chapter, however in the next chapter, I plan on getting to business.

Please review! I would love to hear your thoughts on these sudden turn of events as well as any predictions you may have! Thank you all for reading!